How far are you willing to go for an outstanding product or exceptional service? As a rule I stick pretty close to home. I like to buy local. I like to use local services. There is just something that feels good about supporting business in your own neighborhood. However, there are a few exceptions. Mind you, they may seem a little extreme but to me there is no option.
As I pull up to the immigration booth at the Niagara Falls, Ontario/New York border and handover my passport to the officer I know that I am about to have the same conversation I have in the same spot every 5 – 6 weeks.
Officer: Where do you live?
Me: Oakville, ON
Officer: Where are you headed?
Me: Williamsville, New York
Officer: What is the purpose of your trip?
Me: Going to get my hair done.
Now this is usually where the reactions vary. Some look shocked. Some look at me like I am crazy. Some think I am up to no good.
Officer: Don’t they have hairdressers in Canada?
Me: Well, yes, yes they do. As a matter of fact they have some very good hairdressers in Canada. I’ve worked in the television industry for too long to count and have had access to some of the best hair and makeup people in the GTA, but Tony is quite simply the best.
“Tony” is Anthony Patrick Gattuso and his salon is Anthony New York. He has a lovely salon right on main street in Williamsville (Ph:716.639.7298). I found Tony by accident, really. My sister asked me to keep her company one day when she was going there. I watched him for a long time and was really impressed. By the time we left I had a new hairstyle and colour. Aside from their incredible skill at what they do, Emily, his trusted sidekick, and Tony always make you feel like you are the most important client they have. Tony actually travels far and wide teaching his hair techniques but always cuts his clients personally.
The best part is on my return trip across the border, when I tell them I have just been over to get my hair done they always tell me, “It looks great”.
Alexis operates her business from her home in Vineland. She is the “Sugar Queen” as far as I am concerned.
Her services are of a more personal nature and once you find someone with her skill you can never go back. Anyone who sugars (or for that matter waxes) can tell you there is no painless way to go about hair removal. But there are people who can make it far less painful than others. Alexis is extremely skilled and has just the right “touch” to make it tolerable. But, perhaps one of her best skills is her ability to make you laugh so hard while she is “torturing” you that you don’t even notice it. Her sense of humour is demonstrated on her facebook page “Alexis’ Hairy Scary Club”.
My most recent find that takes me out of my way is in Little Britain, Ontario. I have been spending a great deal of time East and North of Toronto lately and started hearing about “the best butter tarts in the world”. Hanging around in Port Perry and the Lake Scugog area I kept hearing them mentioned. This is not the first time I had heard someone brag about someone else’s butter tarts, so I took it with a grain of salt and thought perhaps I would make the trip someday. Well, that day arrived last week. As I drove farther and farther north I thought perhaps I had missed it or made a wrong turn, so I stopped to ask for directions at “The Trading Post”. Of course they knew where it was, everyone knew where it was and the instructions involved turning right at the chip wagon and left at Little Britain Road. So I was off again and finally reached mydestination.
The place was packed and everyone in there was acting like it was a party. It could have been a sugar rush, but the staff, including owner Lynda Moss, was patient and friendly. The customers were smiling and happy. I talked to several people there. One lady was from Sarnia and one was from Welland. Both said they had been coming there for butter tarts on a regular basis for years. I was determined to make the trip worth my while and purchased butter tarts to take home, butter tarts to take to a gathering I was headed to, some Chelsea buns and an Eccles Cake. Seriously, I am not generally a sweets person. I am more of a salty chips kind of gal. Let me just say that one bite of a butter tart and I knew what all the fuss was about. The pastry just dissolved on my tongue. I had never tasted anything like it and I am here to tell you that they are without a doubt the best butter tarts ever. I will never eat another butter tart from somewhere else. There would be no temptation. The group I took the other tarts to agreed whole heartedly. For the record the Eccles Cake was the best one of those I had ever had as well, but the Chelsea buns was absolutely the best thing I have ever eaten in my life! I dare you to take a drive some day to “Butter Tarts ‘N More” in Little Britain, ON and tell me I am wrong.
There you have it. Three places I will go out of my way for outstanding product and service. How far will you go and what is it that brings you there?
I will drive over the border as well for a store that I LOVE and is not available (or at least as many options) in Canada.
I love Carters for kids.
Yes… I was in love when I had cousins give little clothes that got washed 3 million times and still looked good. Clasps that stayed strong. Shapes that fit. Styles that are classy and look great.
Although.. when I go over the border, I usually have 2 car seats empty in the back (when they stay with their father), so I will admit… I buy some stuff for me too on each trip.
Thanx for another great post Michelle!
Oh, yes, I am guilty of buying south of the border as well. I usually stop at Macy’s, not because they have anything better than The Bay, but because they have the most amazing staff that has been trained properly in the art of “service”. I also stop at Tops, but I only buy products I can’t get on this side of the border. My all time favourite store, though, is SAKS 5th Avenue. There you have a whole shopping “experience”. Thank goodness they don’t have one closer to us! I end up there once or twice a year either in Vegas or New York City.
Great & fun read – but you have to make one more trip:
The Sweet Oven, Barrie, Ontario – Butter tarts only!! Yup – Nothing else there just butter tarts. Over 100 flavours! I personally don’t like it when people mess with my butter tarts, but these are to die for, really. Sell out 4/5 times a day. Oh yes, the tarts come in runny – thick etc. your choice – order ahead, yes but if you don’t pay in advance no guarantee they will be there when you get there. Each month they have a holiday flavour, Valentine – cinnamon, St Patricks day – Baileys etc. etc.
My first visit, while waiting in the ever increasing lineup , I thought I was in some kind of porn shop – really, people licking their fingers – (as syrup dripped everywhere) so as not to miss a drop of that ever sweet filling.
I wouldn’t steer you wrong – right up there with the perogies!!
I have been hearing about these Barrie Tarts for some time now and can never get there before they close. After that description I will have to keep on trying. I think the butter tart competitions have begun! 😉
Hi Michelle,
I popped over to this post from your link on NotQuiteOld. It’s delightful! When I lived in Europe I had to go to some local stylists, but not speaking French my hair turned out, well, nothing like I had intended (which was sometime OK). I would come back from Switzerland periodically and have my hair cut by Rick. “Can I use this as advertising?” “Sure thing, Rick!”
And I re-followed you. I had been but then I must have clicked that damn button because I wondered where your posts had gone! Now I know. (I hate that button.
Thanks for checking it out Elyse. I’m glad you found me again.
I never really lost you — or at least not for long. But glad to have you back in my inbox!