It’s a tiny bit unnatural how much I look forward to my monthly haircuts at Oxenrose in Hayes Valley. Why? It allows me to turn a simple errand into a half-day exploration of one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods. A walk here never fails to send me home with a discovery or two to go with my fabulous hair. On my most recent visit, I took in one of my favorite galleries on Grove: Bucheon, which I love for its adventurous roster of emerging artists working with nontraditional materials. Then I made what I consider to be a mandatory stop at Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) to check out the hand-picked local and international brands. Partner Ben Ospital tipped me off to a new dinner joint up the street that feels less like a trendy restaurant and more like a friend’s kitchen: Bar Jules. As I dug into prosciutto served with walnuts and an impeccable winter-vegetable stew, I closed my eyes and mentally ticked off the weeks until my next haircut.

Bar Jules: 609 Hayes St., S.F., 415-621-5482, barjules.com; Bucheon Gallery: 389 Grove St., S.F., 415-863-2891, bucheon.com; MAC: 387 Grove St., S.F., 415-863-3011; OxenRose: 448 Grove St., S.F., 415-252-9723, oxenrosesalon.com