Community Corner
Who Sports Chicago's Best Beard? This Guy
John Wayne "Duke" Formica is sticking his chin out for Chicago in a national competition staged by Wahl's.
Caption: The various beards of Chicago’s John Wayne “Duke” Formica (plus, a snapshot of his clean-shaven military face), via Facebook
The chin whiskers on a 33-year-old chef are representing Chicago in a national beard competition.
John Wayne “Duke” Formica of Lincoln Park puts as much attention into the crafting of his beard as he does into creating sumptuous meals and great restaurants. Once a clean-shaven military man, Formica now styles his facial hair after movie characters or people he meets in his travels.
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Formica was Wahl’s pick to represent Chicago in its Man of the Year competition.
“I think have great genes,” Formica told DNAInfo Chicago, crediting his beardly prowess to his Italian and Lebanese heritage.
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He told Wahl he grooms his beard two to three times a week.
“I change the look all the time,” he said. ”I have fun with it.”
He entered the contest on a whim at the suggestion of his girlfriend. Upon winning, Wahl gave Formica $500 and a beard trimmer. You can vote in the national competition through Oct. 12 on the Wahl website. If Formica wins, his face could be featured in a national ad campaign.
Formica, known as the traveling cowboy chef, has helped launch restaurants such as Sunda, Homestead and the Yum Cha Dim Sum Parlor. He left the military in 2006 and enrolled in culinary school.
His beard is certainly an attention grabber.
“I get a lot of compliments walking down the street,” he said.
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