Shave and a Haircut

A couple of months ago I attended the wedding of a great friend of mine in New Orleans, Louisiana. The day of the wedding, all the groomsmen got together and ate ourselves sick lunch at Port of Call, then made our way down to Aidan Gill for a shave.



As previously noted, I'm picky about barbers. I'm also not easily impressed. There are plenty of places in DC that pretend to be what Aidan Gill is, but its easy to tell when you're dealing with a knock-off. Aidan Gill is the real thing.

Now, this was a shave unlike any other. The whole process took between thirty to forty-five minutes and was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The young lady that shaved me used no fewer than eight hot towels and probably half a gallon of moisturizer and salve. The shave was incredibly close, and the facial massage that it required was sinful. With Coltrane wafting through the air, it was hard to get out of the chair when the whole thing was over.

I will take issue with Mr. Gill's contention that modern multi-blade razors are "far, far superior to anything that has come before." I traded my Mach 3 for a Merkur safety razor a few years ago and I've never looked back. Why? I get a better shave. But, to each his own. Shaving is something you have to do at least once a day, so you might as well do it as you like.

Still, if you're going to New Orleans, sleep in one morning and let Aidan Gill take care of the grooming. It's worth it.