Father’s Day gifts are the toughest ones to find, and dad himself is usually no help, since he already has everything. Good thing there are still some shops around the city happy to help out.
Have you been begging your dad relentlessly for a new haircut? Or maybe he just needs some maintenance on his lumberjack-esque facial hair. Get him a new fade and a hot shave here and he’ll be thanking you forever. Mr. Barber has shops across the city, so he’s never too far away to stop by. Hell, even if your dad has, like, eight hairs total, these pros will take care of him.
Jim-Bows makes the list because if there’s one thing Dads love more than old-school weaponry, it’s puns. Whether your dad’s an experienced hunter or an amateur Hawkeye (Marvel, not M*A*S*H*), he’ll find something fun at Jim-Bows. They have every type of bow and everything he’ll need for upkeep from compounds to camo. Bring him and the rest of the family for a lesson and some time in the lanes, and help him find his inner archer.
If Dad’s a big board gamer, card shark or pool hustler, then River City is probably already his mecca. If you haven’t played Dutch Blitz against an all-too-serious retiree yet, get a set and brace yourself. Or, maybe Dad’s spending his spare time building that bar in the basement he’s always wanted (now that you’ve moved out). Give him a few bucks towards a pool table, jukebox, poker table, dart board … There’s nothing he won’t love here.
How many times have you heard your dad complain about his long-lost copy of Breakfast in America? If your dad’s a crate-digger, grab him an LP or two from Freecloud. The selection is insane and, if it’s not on the shelves, Rich (the owner and dude behind the counter) will track it down for you. This shop is great, even if you want to grab him a few things to take care of his collection and, really, you can really never have too many 45 adapters.
If you found your dad pawing at the window all winter, staring out at the snow, counting down the days ‘til he could barbecue again or if grilling makes your old man come alive, hit Barbecue Country before Father’s Day to find him the perfect gift. You can go as small (skewers, brushes) or as big (smokers, big-ass charcoal grills) as you like. The best part? Volunteering as a taste-tester.
You can never go wrong by taking dad out to a good meal, especially one with original creations accompanied by damn good drinks. Woodwork serves up great options, local and familiar, but exploding with flavour. Plus, its warm, casual atmosphere lends itself to easy conversations, so you can finally tell your old man about the time you borrowed his car without asking when you were 16. You can also pick him up a gift certificate so he can visit the restaurant in the future.
Remember getting your dad socks when you were a kid and he would graciously thank you, but you knew he was a bit disappointed? Those days are in the past, thanks to the “socks with personality” trend, of which Good Luck Sock is a proud ambassador. You'll find their cool designs at The Briefing Room. If dad’s a more of a subdued Argyll fella, they’ve got it. Blinding sailor’s colours? Yep. Robots, dinosaurs, cool checks? Of course. If you want to keep his ankles swathed in swag all year, sign him up online for the Sock of the Month Club.