After we get a good haircut we feel more confident. We’ve been known to walk around with a certain swagger. It's truly a thing of beauty. Adversely, a bad haircut can have some pretty profound results on one’s confidence level. It's taught us not to cut corners and slip into an untrusted neighborhood joint for something so important. We were discussing a certain phenomenon with friends recently; you know when you’re getting a bad haircut and you know it the whole time and don’t speak up? It’s not like haircuts are done in the dark with a big “ta-da” at the end or anything. You sit there knowing full well things are going wrong, but for whatever reason (Embarrassment? Wishful thinking that the hairstylist’s a pro and knows what he/she’s doing?) you are powerless to speak up. We really need to coin a term for that and urge you to help us out.

Here’s your chance to add to the lexicon and make sure your next haircut is aces. Forward this email to ten friends along with your suggestion for this new word and cc us at PortlandMensJournal@gmail.com for a chance to win an Emperor's Cut at HairM.

June
You know when there’s a band with loads of potential, but who you’re thus far only a lukewarm fan of? And maybe it’s because they’ve paid their dues and have acquired a certain freedom, or maybe they’ve just finally honed in on “it”, but they finally put out the album you knew they were capable of. That is what June is for former DOC chef, Greg Perrault. Every detail of the new place on East Burnside, it seems, is a perfect execution of his vision. From the décor (check out the reclaimed wooden beams from an old warehouse in St. Johns) to the flow of space, everything seems to somehow compliment (and even reflect) the menu. And let’s face it; the food is what it’s all about, no? Farm (and ranch) to table is nothing new in Portland, but the choices made in the field and in the kitchen are creative (sans the pretension) enough to mark this immediately as a place we want to visit more (especially when they work out their mild service-kinks). And fellas...get the lamb.

Nel Centro
It’s a good thing there are a ton of restaurants in Portland. We have places we prefer for happy hour, places for date-night, and places to take out of town guests. Someplace for virtually every occasion. But, every now and then there’s a place that fires on all cylinders. Italian for “in the center”, downtown’s Nel Centro is aptly named; they’re a bullseye. The ambiance is versatile enough for virtually any occasion. It’s lively without seeming rowdy. The food creative without being so out there it might alienate folks with more staid sensibilities. If we had to call them out for shining bright in one category in particular, it’s the happy hour. A draft of quality beer and a lamb burger with feta for $10? You got it. And from there the selections just depart more and more from the tired old upscale bar fare. Our pick? Try the mussels. We debated in telling you about the brunch here, because they already pack ‘em in come weekend time, and for good reason. Just promise us “cuts” if you see us there.

Fulcrum
Among the myriad reasons to commit to a workout regimen now, the obvious is counteracting the effects of a holiday caloric intake only previously found in Brando’s latter years. But maintaining mood and energy levels is our real motivations to not hibernate. The problem with winter workouts, though, is they’re just not as dynamic as the physical activities we busy ourselves with during summer. No more. Established last year, Fulcrum Fitness is for the busy guy who wants to get the most of every second at the gym and who may not always know how to necessarily do so when he gets there. Every workout is led by a personal trainer helping you secure the results you want in the least amount of time. Pack on muscle, trim the fat. We swear by their methods and to entice you to join us in the New Year, we’ve secured the first 100 readers 67% off “21 days to Fight’n Shape” beginning January 3rd. Between now and Sunday, simply use the code “PMJ” and pretend we didn’t tell you that there’s a 75/25 girl-to-guy ratio when you do.

1:: The thing about the Holidays
we love most? Family? Sure. Receiving gifts? Meh. Giving them? Please. Food...period.

There’s no better purveyor of Holiday Meats than Nicky Farms. From European-style air-chilled turkey and goose (kicks the crap out of their tasteless, frozen counterparts), to venison and rabbit holiday sausage (great in stuffing), your table will be the most uniquely bountiful on your block.

2:: Gift-Challenged? We’d be panic-stricken too were it not for Glow Gifts. Simply visit the site, pick your receiver (man, women, child, colleague), then their interest (music, fashion, skiing, etc.) and GG makes you look like a rock star. Each gift set is a personal, well-crafted set complete with handmade items and is wrapped to perfection and topped with a monogrammed, hand-written gift tag. Dare we say you might have fun shopping this season? Enter PMJFREE for free shipping until Monday.

3:: Despite the great aversion some might have to projectors (remember watching bad vacation footage back in the day?), sometimes we find ourselves unable to really enjoy all the content we have available to us on a 2X3 iPhone screen. The Samsung SP-H03 is a palm-sized, portable projector that can be hooked up to not only your PC, but your smart phone as well. Point it at a wall and it's sure to make that “rustic” ski lodge she picked out this year a bit more tolerable.