Best of Boston

The problem with getting an appointment at some vaunted salons isn’t the star stylists themselves so much as the gate-keepers they have shooing away the unshampooed masses: “[Mr. Big Shot] isn’t taking new clients at the moment,” intoned multiple haughty receptionists during our research. We encountered no attitude, however, when we called Kent Newton Salon, and upon arrival we found chilled-out ambiance and meticulous craftsmanship. Partway through the session, the eponymous master — a former Mario Russo staffer — became so engrossed in precision-snipping one cowlick, we crossed our fingers that he didn’t charge by the hour. (He doesn’t.) For Kent himself, you will need to book a few weeks out, but it’s the best cut we’ve had in years. And yes, he’s taking new clients.