El Presidente Posted December 19, 2010 Share Posted December 19, 2010 What is your favourite restaurant? Where? What would you order? Assuming the world was a civilized place and you were encouraged to have a post dinner cigar by the manager/sommelier .....what is it you would choose today? Paint the picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshsmith1 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 South Eastern North Carolina, in a quaint downtown district nestled in an historical port city, lays a two story brick building surrounded by many others from the same WWI industrial architectural era. As one peers through a door, past a sea of patrons and a dimly lit bar, it is obvious that a vault door is propped open and uniformly dressed men and women are walking casually to and fro. A common looking bronze plaque catches the eye and it informs that the building which stands at this location was once a community bank circa 1922. The staff are friendly and if one were like myself they receive a courteous greeting in return and are disregarded as the move is made for a seat at the rich mahogany wood bar. I know that this is a 'tobacco state' but, believe it or not, smoking has been banned in bars and restaurants. So apart from not being able to fire up a wonderful cigar before or after having a bite to eat this place is superb none the less. The menu is riddled with seasonal fresh catch seafood and a pleasant assortment of appetizers and tapas. Tapas being my favorite assortment of treats, they just so happen to be discounted for happy hour, one can enjoy everything from grape leaves to fine cheeses and duck pastrami. I invite you to this Southern hospitality state and join me in a smokey treat and bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adic88 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 I can understand if smoking is banned in the general area of the restaurant, but don't some restaurants have private dining rooms? Are you allowed to smoke in there? Or not as well? In Kuala Lumpur, there is a restaurant (a converted bungalow) that sits in the shadow of the world's 3rd tallest buildings. It serves great East meets West fusion food, and the ambience is really good. The whole restaurant (house) is really dark, then every so often in seemingly random locations, there is a pool of light over a table where diners convene to eat. At the back there are private rooms, with large dining tables enough for 10-12 people to sit around. Several years ago, we had a cigar dinner herf in one of those rooms. The food was great, and we lit up a cigar with each course of food served. Good food, good smokes and good company what more could you ask for. Perhaps, a bit better ventilation! By the half way point of the night, the room was fogged up like pea soup with smoke. It didn't have any windows, and the air conditioning was struggling to keep up with the smoke from 12 smokers. It was quite a funny sight. At one point, i open the door to our room to go to the toilet, and to see all the smoke escape, it must have looked like we were having an open fire inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMS36 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Firenze, Italy...There is this smallish (piccola), trattoria just outside of the San Lorenzo mercato. Dinner would start with panzanella and a pitcher of the house red. Main course would be a 2+ kilo bisatecca al fiorentine, white beans, the works. Finally a double corona, I'm thinking Hoyo or a Lusi. Here is a visual.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 That has my mouth watering Firenze, Italy...There is this smallish (piccola), trattoria just outside of the San Lorenzo mercato. Dinner would start with panzanella and a pitcher of the house red. Main course would be a 2+ kilo bisatecca al fiorentine, white beans, the works. Finally a double corona, I'm thinking Hoyo or a Lusi. Here is a visual.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanuckSARTech Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Mmmmm - I like steak!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deemancpa Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 For me, It's Cafe Matisse, this Italian/International (wife believes it is French)restaurant is located in a 100-year-old home in the heart of colonial Nassau Bahamas. This is were the locals go for deal making and specials occasions with some tourist getting away from the hotel buffets. The outdoor patio with candle light makes it conducive for a romantic evening. The wait staff is exceptional, not on island time in terms of service. My wife believes the leg of lamb is too die for, for me, the duck confit is exceptional. Greg Curry owns the place with his wife. One evening, my wife wasn't happy with her salad, sent it back, Greg came over and kindly apologized, comp my wife's meal, he's that type of guy. Sitting on the patio's far corner, I'm able to enjoy a nice smoke after dinner. I wish for a more extensive wine list. D- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt45 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Too many great restaurants in and around Boston to choose a favorite. Perhaps I'd have mussels and calamari at Toscano, duck at No.9 Park, then a cannolo at Modern Pastry (with wine at the first two, a double espresso at the last). To be totally honest, after dinner I'd be more likely to pop another bottle of some type of sangiovese than consider a cigar...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalebread Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 This is a tough one for me. Along the way I've had some great meals. The problem is that I rarely remember the particulars of what resturant. Or where. Or when. The conversation usually goes like this: Me: Remember that good place we had dinner down in that big vaulted cellar? It was in Italy, right? Wife: I remember. It was in France. Me: Oh. Right. In Dijon. Right. Wife: No. It was Lyon. Me: Right. Right. It was just a year or so ago. Wife: It was in 2006. Me: Oh. OK. But it was really good. One of the best meals I ever had was at March in New York City. I think it's closed now. My wife took me a few years ago to Le Celadon here in Paris for a birthday. Great food. Outstanding service. But I'm not often in the mood for that level of sophistication. On the other hand, I've developed a fondness for Middle Eastern mezza type dinners. You walk into a place and they just start piling little dishes on your table -- 12, 15. Fresh, warm pita. Maybe some falafel. Then you're expected to order a plate of grilled meat. I still remember the first time I had falafel from a tent-stand behind an open air market off Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. Here's your pita and falafel. Dress your own. That was it. I was hooked. Simple. Good. No pretense. Anyway, after all these varied and often intense flavors, I'm not sure what cigar I'd go for. Maybe . . . I'm thinking . . . an R&J Cazadores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eman67 Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Mine would probably be a combo of food and scenery. My wife and I were backpacking around Europe and decided to take a boat to a small island called Elba..I am guessing it was an off season because there was almost noone there. We ran into a little place where the chef greeted us and served us. We had a seafood (with a whole lobster on top) pasta that was outstanding along with baby octopus stewed in it's own ink....along with several bottles of wine..pretty certain my son was conceived there. Ah memories.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckearns Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 I'd relive a meal from last year with a few minor tweaks... Meal would be at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California on a beautiful summer's evening and we'd have the chef's tasting menu (9 courses, but more like 15 once you count the freebies) for dinner. In this ideal situation, we'd have most of our meal inside the restaurant and then retreat to the restaurant's garden for the dessert courses, coffee and then finally a cigar. My smoke of choice would be the biggest thing I could get my hands on because I wouldn't want it to end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deemancpa Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 I'd relive a meal from last year with a few minor tweaks... Meal would be at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California on a beautiful summer's evening and we'd have the chef's tasting menu (9 courses, but more like 15 once you count the freebies) for dinner. In this ideal situation, we'd have most of our meal inside the restaurant and then retreat to the restaurant's garden for the dessert courses, coffee and then finally a cigar. My smoke of choice would be the biggest thing I could get my hands on because I wouldn't want it to end! That's a really nice place. Top 50 in the world! good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjellfrick Posted December 20, 2010 Share Posted December 20, 2010 Picture yourself in a restaurant, cikadas singing in the night, stars coming out. You're at a table just by the edge of the cliff overhanging the Adriatic sea, the temperature is perfect and the smell of the local barbeque is fantastic. Your order comes in; a grilled tuna steak, the fish caught this morning by a local fisherman. Tomato salad, french fries, paprika paste and the local wine. The tuna is so good you even forgive the awful wine. What to smoke? A SLR DC would fit the bill perfectly, complementing the smell of the herbs coming in with the soft breeze. Later, stargazing and getting slowly drunk. I'm quite convinced my first child was conceived there and then. High five, eman67! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 "Taino" our FOH Chilean mate met us in Satiago (Chile). Ken, I Macho, Des and Greg amd 4 Aussies were planning a weeks trout fishing at a great lodge and we had a night in Santiago. Well Taino took us to his favourite seafood restaurant to a private room upstairs where he ordered the finest seafood from the cold waters of Patagonia. Snow crab, Sea Urchin, Beautiful cold water fish done in a variety of ways, crustaceans of all sorts. It went on and on and on. All this acompanied by the finest Chilean wine from his family's vineyard. We smoked cigars throughout the meal but my favourite was the Partagas 898 Varnished Grea food. Great Wine, Great stories, Great company filled with laughter!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmith Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Wasn't that on Valentines Day, all you boys eating together while the rest of the crowd were all paired up?? "Taino" our FOH Chilean mate met us in Satiago (Chile). Ken, I Macho, Des and Greg amd 4 Aussies were planning a weeks trout fishing at a great lodge and we had a night in Santiago. Well Taino took us to his favourite seafood restaurant to a private room upstairs where he ordered the finest seafood from the cold waters of Patagonia. Snow crab, Sea Urchin, Beautiful cold water fish done in a variety of ways, crustaceans of all sorts. It went on and on and on. All this acompanied by the finest Chilean wine from his family's vineyard. We smoked cigars throughout the meal but my favourite was the Partagas 898 Varnished Grea food. Great Wine, Great stories, Great company filled with laughter!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted December 21, 2010 Author Share Posted December 21, 2010 Wasn't that on Valentines Day, all you boys eating together while the rest of the crowd were all paired up?? That was the following year The best Valentines Day we have ever had. made a commitment to do the same (without wives/girlfriends) every year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmith Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 That was the following year The best Valentines Day we have ever had. made a commitment to do the same (without wives/girlfriends) every year! How's that worked out for you and the boys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckearns Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 That's a really nice place. Top 50 in the world! good choice. Thanks! Its a special place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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