Smokin’ and a Quakin’ in LA Cigar Land
Posted By Elvis on July 29, 2008
Good Lord I hate sales trips. I know I’ve blogged about this annoyance before and Monkey Dan over at www.cigarmonkey.com would agree with me I think. I like to follow his blogs about his various trips and needless conference calls he has to endure. But, like Monkey, the one thing I make sure to do is find the nearest and best cigar shop in the area I’m visiting in. So, for that reason alone, I was really looking forward to this current trip because I’ve been here before. In fact, this might be my third annual trip to Studio City, CA where I always visit The Big Easy.
What a perfect shop it is. It is just off Ventura Blvd. stuck in a valley between all the craziness of Hollywood and Los Angeles. That’s why I always camp out in Studio City…it’s perfect distance from all the clients I have to visit, yet quiet enough where I know my way around and where I can come to the Big Easy to hang out. And Minnesota shops should take note…these guys are open noon to 11pm during the week and until midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
I know I’ve blogged about this shop before, but a quick recap. The shop is decked out in old Cuban baseball jerseys, black and white photos, antique furniture and old dusty books. There’s red leather benches that look they were pulled from an old city bus of some sort. There’s the usual old cigar signs and appropriately for the area, there’s vintage movie posters. There’s a raised dias in front of the shop storefront window you can sit at and look out on Ventura Blvd. There’s a bobble head collection, a hot sauce collection and tons of old tobacco tins. And jazz music plays at perfect volume throughout the shop.
Oh…and they have the very best cigars in a nice size humidor. And by best, I mean it is limited, but only as much as keeping it to the best quality stuff without gimmicks. No, you won’t find Gurkhas or CAOs. No flavored crap either. But plenty of Padrons, Fuentes, Perdomos, Illusiones, Ashtons and Rockys are there to choose from. Oh, and I should mention Tatuajes. Holy Tatuaje. When I was here two summers ago, it was the first time I had ever seen these and now they have just about every blend. In fact, I picked one out that I recently read another blog on called the Reserva SW. My, what a smoke it is. A little spice, but none of the overbearing pepper you find in some of his other blends. And every puff I kept getting nuances of something different all the time. Hard to put a finger on except that it’s really an interesting and lively cigar. I think these have really gotten complex over time. I got burnt toast at times, then a whiff of some kind of nut…wow, my favorite Tatuaje of all time without a doubt.
The downside to the Big Easy is that they don’t allow cell phones…which is actually kind of quaint, but not good when I want to conduct some business there. They have wireless internet, but won’t give out the password to customers, and they don’t have a bathroom which is why I left tonight after only the one cigar.
I then Venturaed (not a typo, but a pun) over to another smoke shop called Havana Cigars, which was next to a McDonalds so I could empty my screaming bladder beforehand. I walked in and although not anywhere near the “lounge” that the Big Easy is, I saw about 6 guys strewn out on a couple of leather chairs and plastic lawn chairs. This shop had many more cigars to choose from, if not the high end stuff that the Big Easy offered. I picked out a San Cristobal and for fun, a Nub Habano. I asked if it was alright I hung out and smoked up and the owner gave me his leather chair. The fellas there were very inviting. I sat down and introdudced myself to the guys and they were a motley bunch of overweight guys and guys of varying ethnicity…but were all clearly buddies. Turns out some were regulars and some were a group of standup comediens and I got to hear for an hour plus of their adventures in that world. One guy has opened for some real big names (even though I didn’t recognize any of the names…it’s the newer comedy circuit and I don’t follow it). Anyways…very nice dudes and I can see myself going back there a few times this week if my schedule allows. And I must say, the women walking by their shop are unreal hot! So nice eye candy to go with the hospitality. Studio City is the porn capitol of the world after all.
The sad part is I was done smoking and it was only 8pm. I might just have to order a whole pizza for myself and stop and get a bottle of vino all to myself and light up another cigar on my balcony. There is a $250 fine for smoking…outside…on your balcony. But I will take the risk! Oh and apparently there was an earthquake here today that hit about 20 minutes before my plane landed. Being from Minnesota, it might have been fun to feel that. But I hope there’s no big aftershocks since my room is on the top floor of the hotel!
Elvis
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May i suggest the CENIZA LOUNGE in Pasadena (google it, that would be the opposite direction though). Their Cigar Selection is sometimes a bit, i should say, boring. I am sure though that you’ll find something you like. You get free coffee, you get free wifi, you can use your laptop/cell and do some work if you like, while you enjoy your smoke! Oh, and yes, they do have a bathroom;-)