Cigar Dinner Menu

[Makisupa]

I work as a chef at a casino in Florida and we recently held a dinner event for some of our VIP players that featured a cigar integreated menu. Seventeen players ultimately enjoyed five courses of NC cigars and food. The menu went as follows:

First

Mache and Bulls Blood Peppercress Greens, Herbed Chevre, Roasted Golden Beets and Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

** Ashton Classic Churchill **

Second

Apple Smoked Squab Flautas, Roasted Corn Coulis, Avocado and Easter Egg Radish Salad, Cilantro Crema

** La Aurora Preferido Platinum **

Third

Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, Butter Poached King Crab with Celeriac and Beluga Creme Fraiche Timbale

** Fuente Hemmingway Classic **

Intermezzo

Meyer Lemon Ice Wine Sorbet

Fourth

Open Fire Grilled Venison Chop, Huckleberry Infused Veal Reduction and Butternut Squash Flan

** La Gloria Cubana Serie R #7 **

Finale

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Truffle, Godiva Anglaise

** Padron 1926 Maduro #1 **

I did not write the menu but was involved with two other chefs in preparing it. I found the concept to be somewhat strange. It was certainly difficult to watch patrons sample the cigars for 5 to 10 minutes before stubbing it out and moving on to the next course. I couldn't help but think that their palate was demolished with each cigar, so was the flavor of the food even being appreciated?

The point of this post is to hopefully garner some input from your experiences. Have you ever been involved with something similar? What did you think worked well food wise? Would hors d'oeuvres work better than full courses? Can food and cigars live side by side in harmony or are they destined to be appreciated after one another?

Thanks for your time.

[Colt45]

My own personal preference would be to smoke after I've eaten, but I wouldn't

mind snacks / hors d'oeuvres while smoking. I almost always feel hungry after

a cigar, and will eat, but I don't think I'd burn one right before I knew I was to

sit down to a gourmet dinner.

[idesign]

Damn, a churchie takes me 2 hrs to smoke and it was served with the first course....:-|

I don't like to eat and smoke at the same time either, other than snacking.

[korryp]

Certainly a different concept. Been to a nice dinner where there was a cigar offered before and after the planned dinner. The before cigar was very mild cuban while the after dinner was a well aged medium cuban.

[Tampa1257]

It has been a while since I attended a well prepared cigar dinner. The Menu sounds wonderful, but perhaps I missed something of importance (at least to me), between courses, when people are smoking, it sounds like there was not a sufficient amount of time allowed for someone to enjoy the cigar AND there was nothing to prepare the palate to be able to detect the flavors of the food. What I am referring to is that at other opportunities that I have had, something as small as a few bite fulls of a sherbet which tends to neutralize the taste buds would cleanse the palate to be able to taste the flavors of either the food or the cigars. I would read up about the different Wine Tastings, because I believe that they are more accustomed to cleansing the palate between courses so that the people can detect the differences in flavors. Maybe Ken with his Wine Knowledge can chime in when he returns from his duties in Europe this week.

Tampa

[skid11]

I agree with you, I think your palate would be destroyed not only to enjoy the taste of the food but even to enjoy the cigars.

The food menu sounds interesting, I personally would prefer to enjoy the meal first with a good selection of wines and then choose a cigar or two from the range to top of a great evening.

[genevapics]

For me, it just seems like way too many cigars. I like one, maybe two and that's about all. Plus, it seems that one would be rushed trying to smoke in between courses.

I would agree with one of the posters; one or two cigars after the entire meal would be sufficient and quite possibly more enjoyable for me.

The menu itself sounded very good.

[Tampa1257]

So Daniel,

When are you going to prepare that type of Menu and some of us local Habanos Smokers and provide the cigars for the evening? That Menu would have been much better served with some Cuban leaf being consumed IMHO.

Tampa

[cigardawg]

What is really a shame is smoking that Padron Serie 1926 No. 1 Maduro last after all that food and all the other cigars. I guess they wanted to save the best for last and allow the "players" to smoke it all the way, but no way they could really appreciate it. If you aren't going to smoke a Habanos, you might as well be smoking a Padron 1926 or 1964.:-D

[The Privateer]

I agree that there was insufficient time allowed for appreciation of the cigars. However, cigars seldom mask the taste of good food, especially if they are smoekd for such a short duration.

I organized a cigar dinner some time ago and we had 3 cigars:

ERDM Lunch Club

Robaina Famosos '98

Cuaba Distinguidos

They were smoked completely, and we felt that it was slightly too much, although satisfying.

[waldo]

Sounds like a bad dream.:-|

Should have just let them choose a cigar after dinner.

[Loki]

Just my 2c.

But when I have a couple of friends over for dinner and smokes we generally start with an hour or so of cocktails and a stick.

We then indulge ourselves in some food and drinks. After the meal is completed then we retire to the deck for of course a couple of more drinks and that evenings second stick, depending upon how long we hang-out maybe a third cigar is smoked. IMO two well chosen cigars are more than adequate for an average four hour dinner.

We generally come to some form of concensus on the smokes, corona gordas before dinner and possibly #2s after dinner for example. This keeps us all on the same schedule, not that there ever is one.

[El Presidente]

Great Menu !

I have planned and hosted more cigar dinners than I could ever hope to count. My rules are as follows:

1. No more than three featured cigars. Start milder and smaller Vitola's and build in strength and size from there.

2. Match food and wine to the cigars. Simple robust flavoured food. Clean flavours and top quality produce.

3. Last cigar to be enjoyed with wines/ ports/ cheeses / deserts. This means that you are only really taking one break from cigars for the main meal (45 minutes).

4. Anyone who stubbs out their cigars would never get an invite back ;-)

[Makisupa]

» So Daniel,

»

» When are you going to prepare that type of Menu and some of us local

» Habanos Smokers and provide the cigars for the evening?

Yeah Chuck, sounds like a great idea!

I had an idea for sometime in the future, how about a meeting at the Cuesta-Rey lounge at Tropicana Field? I am fairly certain that parking is free this year and the least expensive tickets are $8 which is all you need to get to the lounge. Full bar and nice chairs. Pool table and a small selection of Newmann cigars, with a nightly drawing for a box of Diamon Crowns. Only downsaide is their big-screen TV is a circa 1994 rear-projection model. Think about it.

[Makisupa]

» Great Menu !

»

» I have planned and hosted more cigar dinners than I could ever hope to

» count. My rules are as follows:

»

» 1. No more than three featured cigars. Start milder and smaller Vitola's

» and build in strength and size from there.

»

» 2. Match food and wine to the cigars. Simple robust flavoured food. Clean

» flavours and top quality produce.

»

» 3. Last cigar to be enjoyed with wines/ ports/ cheeses / deserts. This

» means that you are only really taking one break from cigars for the main

» meal (45 minutes).

»

» 4. Anyone who stubbs out their cigars would never get an invite back ;-)

Thanks to everyone for their input. I realized that my post was somewhat hurriedly put together. I didn't do the menu, but I worked the event, which was nicely put together. Tons of great wine, liquor, and beer were available. Live action cigar rollers were in the suite as well. The best part was that the casino paid for cigars for 30 people but only 17 people attended, leaving 13 bags of cigars unaccounted for. Jackpot for me! I ended up snagging 2 of them and acquired a third via a trade heavily wieghted in my favor.

I don't know who put the event together but since it took place I have been angling for a heavier hand in the next event. I have been thinking hors d'oeuvres, Scotch and a cigar as the first course. Salad and entree along with a selection of three wines plus cigar. Finally a light dessert plus cheese board and a choice of Madeira or Port with a final cigar.

The original event seemed a bit convoluted to me. Too much of everything. I think a four to five hour event would be more appropriate in order to allow for complete appreciation of all the facets of the menu.