Cigar questions

[lexsooner]

1. Are there any cigar bars or cigar-friendly bars/restaurants in the greater OKC area? I used to frequent a nice place in Lexington, KY, until some snoots on the city council banned all indoor smoking, including at our cigar bar. No exemptions allowed. When I visit OKC, I would like to visit a cigar bar.

2. What is the best cigar store in this area?

3. I am going on a cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back this summer on Norweigian Cruise Lines. We stop at a couple of Canadian ports and also go into Canadian and international waters. The ship, the Norweigian Sun, has a "Havana cigar bar." Will their humidor have real Cuban cigars available after we leave US waters? I expect to be gouged for Cubans at any cigar stores in Canadian port cities, so that is not too appealing.

[handcrafted]

1a. http://www.makersokc.com. YWIA. There's also a "Little Havana Room" upstairs from Crabtown. Both places are in Bricktown, near downtown OKC. One used to be able to enjoy a cigar upstairs at the Bricktown Brewery, but I believe they've had to stop due to not being able or willing to set up a proper smoking room.

Champions sports bar in Norman is an "all smoking" establishment but you'll have to ask about cigars being allowed, though I suspect they probably are. I haven't been in there since the Tx Tech game last year.

1b. Lexington, KY is now both lame and dead to me. It's inconceivable that you would not be able to enjoy a nice double corona along with your bourbon and branch water.

2. Because I live in Norman, I go to Plantations in the Sooner Mall. I've no idea about stores in the greater OKC area.

3. I'm clueless on this one.

[jacru]

Monica?... Bill?...
Pardon my interruption.
I'm sorry.

[noleamite]

Man was in miami few weeks back..and got the best cuban ever!

[handcrafted]

Monica?... Bill?...
Pardon my interruption.
I'm sorry.

Post reported.

[King Crimson]

haven't seen him around much lately, but sooneron seems pretty knowledgable about cigars.

[lexsooner]

1a. http://www.makersokc.com. YWIA. There's also a "Little Havana Room" upstairs from Crabtown. Both places are in Bricktown, near downtown OKC. One used to be able to enjoy a cigar upstairs at the Bricktown Brewery, but I believe they've had to stop due to not being able or willing to set up a proper smoking room.

Champions sports bar in Norman is an "all smoking" establishment but you'll have to ask about cigars being allowed, though I suspect they probably are. I haven't been in there since the Tx Tech game last year.

1b. Lexington, KY is now both lame and dead to me. It's inconceivable that you would not be able to enjoy a nice double corona along with your bourbon and branch water.

2. Because I live in Norman, I go to Plantations in the Sooner Mall. I've no idea about stores in the greater OKC area.

3. I'm clueless on this one.

Thanks a lot! Any advice from a Brother of the Leaf is appreciated. Lexington, KY, was pretty lame and dead before the ban, but it is now deader than door nail lame. The power of the city is with some old money blue blood biddies and their goofball councilmen and mayor. They decided their nice little tea outings could no longer be messed up by smoking. Banning smoking in restaurants is actually ok with me, but they went further and banned it in ALL bars, including our cigar bar. Now the bar has been turned into a pub and there are a bunch of college kids in there. Bars are now struggling to stay in business, and the newest phenomenon in warm weather months is the spill-over into the sidewalks and street downtown, where smokers all drink and smoke outside the establishment, blocking pedestrian traffic.

We still lament the closing of Nicholson's cigar bar in Lexington. We all had our favorite leather chairs, our big moose on the wall, preferred drinks, favorite cigars. It was a cigar bar in the traditional gentleman's sense. Boys night out has never been the same since, and a Padron Anniversary 1964 has never quite been as pleasurable.

[King Crimson]

there's also a cigar/tobacco store just east of campus corner on Lindsey...forget the name.

[StoopTroup]

Yum...

http://www.tobaccobarns.com/padronanniversary1964d.jpg

[noleamite]

man look at that.....

[chriscappel]

COHIBA

[Okla-homey]

I found a tobacconist a block from where I work in downtown Tulsa. Pity a man can't even smoke inside the joint, because they share a door to the street with some other businesses and the new law says that's a no-no.

Flippin' ree-dic-u-lous.

They do have seating on the sidewalk outside where a guy can blow smoke at passers-by though.

[opksooner]

How about Harry's Bar and Tables in Westport (http://www.westportkc.com/places/harrys.html)

Oh wait.....you said OKC..................

.....never mind :(

[lexsooner]

COHIBA

If it is a Habana, Cohiba rocks - strong, spicy flavor in the Cuban tradition with a real bite to it. My favorite Habanas are the Punch Punch, Montecristo II, and Vegas Robaina Famoso, in no particular order.

Among "domestics," the Padron Anniversary 1964 is my favorite. The 1926 is really expensive but I cannot tell the difference. A BOL loves the Arturo Fuente Opus X, which to many is the primo "domestic." It's a tad heavy for my tastes. He also swears by the Diamond Crown Maximus maduro.

[SoonerInKCMO]

I think this young lady could help you out.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/ToddG/cigar.jpg

[lexsooner]

I found a tobacconist a block from where I work in downtown Tulsa. Pity a man can't even smoke inside the joint, because they share a door to the street with some other businesses and the new law says that's a no-no.

Flippin' ree-dic-u-lous.

They do have seating on the sidewalk outside where a guy can blow smoke at passers-by though.

That reminds me - the old biddies in the Lexington council did allow smoking in establishments which primarily profit from tobacco. A few cigar stores in town have small areas with a few chairs and a tv where you can smoke. But what I miss is having a nice lounge, in the tradition of a gentleman's club. We could have a nice steak at DeSha's next door, then retire to our room and smoke and drink and act like guys. I'd rather see them ban tea rooms which sell antiques and serve sandwiches with the edges cut off.

[Taxman71]

How does a place in Kentucky ban smoking? I was there a couple years ago and that whole state is nothing but horses, bourbon and tobacco. That is like Oklahoma banning gasoline cars.

It is not public, but this guy has a private cigar-smoking pad that's pretty cool:

http://www.episodelist.com/shows/images/seinfeld/cast_kramer.jpg

[BeetDigger]

They do have seating on the sidewalk outside where a guy can blow smoke at passers-by though.


It's that kind of attitude that has gotten cigar smokers in trouble. :D



It reminds me of the guys who go to Starbucks and smoke cigars outside while reading the paper and enjoying a cup of java. At 10 am. I enjoy a good cigar every once in a while, but 10 am seems a bit early for me.

[lexsooner]

How does a place in Kentucky ban smoking? I was there a couple years ago and that whole state is nothing but horses, bourbon and tobacco. That is like Oklahoma banning gasoline cars.

It is not public, but this guy has a private cigar-smoking pad that's pretty cool:

http://www.episodelist.com/shows/images/seinfeld/cast_kramer.jpg

Lexington is a unique enclave in itself within the state. I tend to think it was self-serving because a lot of educated Lexington bluebloods in power do not smoke or like smokers around them in restaurants - but they also want to profit from tobacco. It's the same old hypocrisy. I'm cool with no smoking in restaurants, but they went crazy and banned smoking in bars and would not allow any exemptions for cigar bars. Our cigar bar owner went to the city council and got no play whatsoever. Now go to some other counties in Kentucky and you couldn't enforce any such laws. On a business trip I went into a DQ in some small town and they had a little enclosed area with about four tables for NON-smokers. True story.

[Jimminy Crimson]

In Bricktown, Maker's, LiT, Crabtown, & Drinkz should let you light it up.

[HoserSooner]

3. I am going on a cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back this summer on Norweigian Cruise Lines. We stop at a couple of Canadian ports and also go into Canadian and international waters. The ship, the Norweigian Sun, has a "Havana cigar bar." Will their humidor have real Cuban cigars available after we leave US waters? I expect to be gouged for Cubans at any cigar stores in Canadian port cities, so that is not too appealing.

We were on a cruise a couple of years ago (Carnival), and they had Cuban cigars available in the smoking lounge. I didn't inquire about how much they cost, because I can get Cubans here at home, and with the prices the cruise ships charge for things, I was happy just smoking my cigarettes.

[handcrafted]

because I can get Cubans here at home

Sir, you almost persuade me to become a Canadian.

[sooneron]

1. Are there any cigar bars or cigar-friendly bars/restaurants in the greater OKC area? I used to frequent a nice place in Lexington, KY, until some snoots on the city council banned all indoor smoking, including at our cigar bar. No exemptions allowed. When I visit OKC, I would like to visit a cigar bar.

2. What is the best cigar store in this area?

3. I am going on a cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back this summer on Norweigian Cruise Lines. We stop at a couple of Canadian ports and also go into Canadian and international waters. The ship, the Norweigian Sun, has a "Havana cigar bar." Will their humidor have real Cuban cigars available after we leave US waters? I expect to be gouged for Cubans at any cigar stores in Canadian port cities, so that is not too appealing.
1. I only know about Maker's

2. I agree with Plantations in Sooner Mall or the place on Boyd and Jenkins (same owners, I believe) Pick up some Bahia Golds at Plantations- MMmmm good!

3.The biggest problem with buying in Canada, is the dollar's weakness these days. It was no big deal buying stogies from Castro-land in 04 as we were getting .70 on the dollar. I think I averaged around 12 bucks a cigar not too far from the cruise ship. Now, you're going to be hit for nearly 20 for the same Romeo Y Juilietas and Montecristos. I was nervous as heroin mule coming back tho. No big deal they just waved everyone through.
Also, some of the tobacco stores that we went into, had websites and they can ship. So, buy a few to sample and figure out which ones you really like and get them later.