During my lifetime, I have only ever been to two (2) places that have given me a haircut I was…read moretruly 100% happy to have once I walked out the door (not to mention days, weeks, and months after)! The first one was in Montréal, Québec, Canada (where I went to university), and the second one was Alternative Barbering Company in St. Albans (where I studied abroad for a semester).
I'll never forget it. It was an average winter weeknight in St. Albans. I, the American, had spent the evening scavenging every corner drugstore for some egg nog to get me into the holiday spirit. Instead, all I got were a handful of confused looks and one chuckle that just said, "You Yanks and your egg nog!"
Anyway, I decided I would try and spend my time in St. Albans in a more productive manner. I began looking up the nearest barbershops in the area. There was hardly anything in Hatfield (where I went to uni at the time), and I was very nitpicky about where I went. My hair is very important to me, and I am very difficult to please (I won't show it, but it's true). I finally found Alternative Barbering Co. nearby, and decided to give it a shot because of its high ratings and the fact that it was run by younger men.
It must have been about an hour from closing time when I walked through the door, but somehow I managed to jump any sort of queue that there had been - or rather, let me correct myself. The queue seemed to instantly clear up FOR me. (Disclaimer: I'm not famous or anything.) It was just my luck that right as I walked in through the door, a couple of guys got done with their haircuts, those spots were filled by the two men in front of me, and Dan, the owner of the place, came to cut my hair.
Let me tell you this - Dan is the MAN. He is such a cool, friendly, down-to-earth guy. We talked about films, growing up on opposite sides of the pond, and current hairstyles. Because he and I have similar hair textures, he knew exactly what to do to make me look my absolute best. He even gave me a few tips on products to use, etc. I was so happy with the results that even months afterwards when I went back to Montréal to graduate from university, I showed my other favorite barbershop a photo of the haircut Dan had given me, for reference! The man is a total pro, and if I needed a haircut everyday of the week, I would visit him!
It's just a shame I live in San Francisco.