Hey Andy; Number one destination should be Tampa Sweethearts (just off of I4, south on 21st St (one-way south), to 2nd st, turn Left for a block..it's 1310 N 22nd St). Maybe Carlos Fuente Jr will be there (Arturo Sr has been known to show up as well)...Great place & the original home of Fuente.....(not open Sunday or Monday)
Most of the rest of the cigar-related stuff is around 7th avenue in Centro Ybor (can't miss it.Huge red brick building (old Cigar factory) sitting right next to I4. It's a bit "touristy" in some places, but it's where the heart of the old Cigar industry was...here's a link with various address' to check out : http://www.ybortimes.com/cigars.cfm
Lots of good restaurants and cigar stores in the Old Ybor area (up and down 7th...Like "Calle Ocho" in your neck of the woods)...I have no specific recommendations, just about every place I eaten there is about the same....Great...but the Columbia Restaurant (on 7th...takes up an entire block) is very interesting...supposedly the oldest restaurant in Florida.. Nice environment (try the paella ).
Have a good time, and be prepared to drop a bundle @ Tampa Sweethearts (stay away from the Don Carlos display...those are mine!) - don't forget to try a sampler of Flor de Ybor City cigars either....)
Have a good one...
This message has been edited. Last edited by: rbihari,
"Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation." ~ Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
rbihari, THANK YOU very much. Man, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. All copied and pasted already. I have a continuing education conference there and I will be needing a BREAK. Stopping in at the Fuente place will be IT. Thanks again, Andy
C4S Club Member #003
Posts: 1430 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: July 29, 2003
BTW...Forgot to mention that the Columbia also has a pretty nice Cigar store in the building, but there are quite a few cigar stores up & down 7th in the general area, so look around a bit... they even sell them out of carts on the street at times !
Enjoy.
"Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation." ~ Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
Andy, Don't forget Edward's Pipe & Tobacco on Henderson Blvd. in south Tampa. It's been around forever. When I was a kid (and that was 35 years ago) my Dad would drive there from St. Petersburg to buy cigars and pipe tobacco. Free coffee everyday too !!!
"Individuals Play The Game, Teams Win Championships"
Posts: 857 | Location: valrico,fl | Registered: May 06, 2002
Thanks Paul! I just got in tonight and most things are closed, but I am looking forward to any break I get in the schedule to visit all of the hot spots you all have mentioned. Thanks again! Andy
C4S Club Member #003
Posts: 1430 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: July 29, 2003
I can second the Ybor city destinations. I love going there several times a year and I can spend most of a full day down there just roaming around. Very friendly people, good eats, and lots of history there
Mike
"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar." Mark Twain
Andy; Just one more thing...as you might have noticed if you are there already...Tampa isn't like Miami.......they roll the streets up at night. Most of the Cigar shops close early (between 4-6 PM)...sorry, I should have mentioned that earlier.....you might have to skip class in order to get to a few while you are there (not always a bad thing).....
Have Fun
"Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation." ~ Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988)
You read my mind! I don't think I'll be able to get to any of them without putting those old CE credits on the line! Oh, well... next time I will arrive a tad earlier! Thank you all very much for the information and help.
C4S Club Member #003
Posts: 1430 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: July 29, 2003
To kind of bring this back to the forefront..there is a very nice article in the Winter 2004/2005 Smoke Magazine on the history of Ybor city and the man that built it. Very interesting reading indeed, and I learned some stuff I didn't even know about the region. See CA, you can find interesting articles to write about other than why the NBA is falling apart ( I really didn't care to read about the NBA in my cigar magazine. If I wanted to do that, I would subscribe to to Sports Illustrated.)
Pay attention CA and Mr. Savona, this is the kind of articles we every day cigar smokers and travellers like.
Mike
"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar." Mark Twain
This looks like an old thread but I am going to be in the Tampa area during the summer for several weeks and would like to check out any cool places. Been to Ybor city several times on my last trip. King Corona was a nice place to smoke & I think the next time I'm there I'll go there for a haircut & old fashioned shave. I saw that Tampa humidor has a new store opened this month has any one been there for a smoke & coffee? Any other spots I need to go to?
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"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin
Just a couple of blocks east down Seventh Avenue from King Corona, there's a terrific shop/lounge called Havana Dreams. Big comfortable leather armchairs, Cuban jazz on the sound system, a little bar for really strong (!) Cuban coffee, and they should have their liquor license by now. They have a walkin humidor stocked with their own sticks that I like a lot, hand-rolled there in Tampa from Nicaraguan and Dominican leaves. It's very laid-back and friendly with a mix of locals and visitors, and completely bi-lingual.
The food's better and cheaper at the little mom-and-pop joints on parallel streets to the south of Seventh Avenue.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jack White,
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2900 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
To bad you can't be here tonight to watch the Rays SWEEP the red sox. Tropicana Field has a great cigar bar.
Who'da thought we'd ever be looking up at the Rays??
I've been to Tropicana Field many times ... whenever the Red Sox or Yankees are in town, you'd think it was a home game for them. Different this year, huh?
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 2900 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Unfortunately I was there when they swept the 3rd game against the Cubs. Felt like a home game. I walked the entire inside of the park I didn't see any cigar bar what was the name?
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"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin
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