Serendipity Happens: Lord of the Rings

Serendipity: "fortunate happenstance" "pleasant surprise"

Serendipity: A pretty good John Cusack movie

Serendipity: A chocolate shop where you can get this ice cream sundae:

For a mere $1,000. [source]

Serendipity: One of my all-time favorite words and a favorite occurrence. I get sad when serendipity happens and I miss it!

The other evening, while at Habanos, Valentino saw someone wearing a Tatuaje shirt and asked our friend and fabulous bartender Nathalie (Hi Nathalie!)* if he worked for one of the cigar companies. She said, "No," but thought Valentino would enjoy chatting with him, so she introduced them.

As they chatted, Valentino noticed a magnificent ring on his finger--in the shape of an ashtray with a cigar and lots and lots of shiny elements.Naturally, my man swooned, because that ring, loaded with sapphires and diamonds gold and silver is effing gorgeous.

The man, Hamo Tavitian, told our hero that he DESIGNED it. He MADE it. (You guys! How cool is that?**) He showed Valentino pictures of other things--cufflinks, money clips, bracelets...and much more, that he's designed. You can see some of them here. Gorgeous, right?

Of course, I didn't know any of this was happening because I was home grading papers.*** But when he returned to the homefront, a mere six minutes away, he told me the whole story and showed me pictures. How could he pass up a custom-made ring? Especially one as super cool as that?

Now if I had been there, I probably would have been vying for his attention**** and he might not have even noticed the nice man and his shirt, and then...and then...

The next day, he made the call and ordered this baby:

It's a little reminiscent of that delectable dish above, isn't it?
(Humour me and say, "Yes.")

But wait! There's more:

Here's a funny thing: Let's call it serendipity light.  We were chatting with our friends at Rolling Stogies during the Providence Columbus Day Festival on Atwell's Ave...

Thanks for the day off, sir!!

...and one of the guys (Hi Joe!) said, "Hey, we just saw a guy with a really cool ring. It was kind of like an ashtray."

We were all, "Whaaa?" and "OMG!"

Here's another funny thing: We were at the festival 1. Because you know we love those things and 2. To meet up with Hamo to pick up Valentino's ring!

And here's a fabulous thing about this ring: It is custom-made, so even if another guy did have one, it would never be the same as our hero's!!

 
You need to check out Hamo's website and then you need to contact him and then you need to get one and then you need to call and thank me and buy me a cupcake.*****

Lord of the Rings (and other lovely jewelry)

"I'm passionate about my work," Hamo said. "Jewelry is my first love and cigars are my passion--every piece of Design by Hamo jewelry is hand-designed and hand crafted by me. I hope you enjoy wearing it as much as I do making it." Trust us, you totally will.******

Note the H on the cigar. Hmmm...I wonder what that stands for...
(It's Hamo.)

Know what helps up the Cool Factor? It's as heavy as...a really, really heavy thing. So heavy that if I wore it around my neck for more than ten minutes, I'd become a C-shaped lady right-quick. But it would be worth it because everyone would stop and admire my lovely necklace, just like they admire his gorgeous ring.

Just so you know, Hamo creates a full line of men's and women's cigar-themed rings, cuff links, pendants and accessories with many various stones and metals including ruby, emerald, gold, silver and more. See just a small sampling here and here.

Let's take another look at this and swoon over the blue sapphires, diamonds, Argentinian silver, and gold. And you can't even see the ruby that's mimicking the lit end of the cigar.

Hamo's business is located in Boston, but that doesn't preclude you from chatting with him and maybe getting a little something--or somethings--for yourself, regardless of where you live. Or you could just happen to leave the website open on a page that just happens to have a picture of something you just happen to want. Because sometimes, just sometimes, serendipity needs a jump start.



*Hi (again) Nathalie!

**The Cool Factor is cranked up to a zillion!

***Grrrrrr

****Hahahaha

*****Cupcakes are the world's greatest reward.

******We are incredibly trustworthy, if we do say so ourselves. And we do say so.

In which we invest in The Banker

During one of the many Italian feasts this summer that must surely annoy the residents of Boston's Hanover and surrounding streets, Valentino traded one of his beloved Leaf by Oscar cigars (Hi Jim! Hi Oscar!) for a Banker by H. Upmann with the fab guys from Rolling Stogies.

You already know our love for the Leaf (and of the leaf, obviously, but that's a different thing) and Valentino has been spreading the word like it's his job. (Which it isn't. He just loves them. Me too, of course--otherwise I totally wouldn't write about them. I'd be all, "What? No. Never heard of them." But we all know that's not the case.*)

Anyway, that night, he received and lit up this:

 

Ooooh. That looks like a million bucks!

Then, not too long ago, we had the opportunity to meet up with Tom Borio (Hi Tom!) from Altadis. (Just so you know, Altadis is the company that owns a boatload of brands, including H. Upmann, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, and many more!) The Banker was coming to Habanos** and we were super excited, since we already knew much love existed between Valentino and his new discovery.***. He and Tom chatted for ages about all things cigar, and then Valentino suggestively sold (but not sold suggestively because that's something else entirely) them to all our pals.

 

Here's the thing about Valentino: He's very (very very very) persuasive. To quote my mom, "He could charm a hungry dog off a meat wagon." But he's also incredibly trustworthy and straightforward, so if he says, "You have to try this cigar," chances are, you're going to like it. And he really did like The Banker.

 

The cigar is composed of a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder from the Jalapa region, and aged Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers.

 

Keep in mind, when we first encountered the classiness that is The Banker, we were surrounded by all the smells (pleasant and otherwise) that are part of a massive festival in the middle of Boston, so I took Valentino's word that the cigar achieved purchase-level status.

 

Once we were in the confines of the cigar bar and I could fully enjoy the Currency size (48 x 5.5--also available are Arbitrage at 56 x 7 and Annuity at 52 x 6).

 

 

As I jumped into the wake of his first couple of exhales, I liked the combination of coffeeness (It's a word now. Quiet, you.) and chocolateyness (Shut. Up.) with a hint of pepper. I guess that would make it mocha (with pepper, ew), but each flavor alternated, weaving in and out of each's presence rather than blending together to make something completely new. Think of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup--You can taste both the PB and C separately, which is fab. So too The Banker.

 

Then he wandered around, chatting, charming dogs off meat wagons, whatever. When he returned, the cigar was very different. The coffee and chocolate were still there, as was the pepperiness, but all had settled into the background, with an earthiness, not the dirty-kind of earthiness (you know what I mean), moving up to the front. The original creaminess that accompanied the first moments had split for parts unknown, its place taken over by rich tobacco.

 

"I was thinking I should buy a box," he said.

"You should totally buy a box," said the enabler, er, me.

[source]

 

We decided it would serve as an everyday, hanging around kind of smoke, the answer to "What should I have?" as he stands in front of the humidor, its door wide open and lights on, not unlike standing in front of a full refrigerator, wondering if there's anything to eat.

 

As you have probably figured out by now, I love a good (or great) backstory. Here's The Banker's story, according to the Montecristo Social Club website: "German bankers Carl and Herman Upmann traveled to Cuba to craft an exceptionally unique cigar in 1844. They locked it in the vaults and gave it as a special gift to their most important clients." We all know that means richest, right? Apparently, the bank burned down in 1922, and after all this time, the folks at H. Upmann are finally able to bring back, not quite the original, but something very close, from what I understand. I mean, I read it on the internets, so it must be true, right?

"Bonjour."
[source]

 

*Someone has obviously had way too much caffeine today. 

**Actually, The Banker comes to Habanos frequently and we love him! Hi Brian! :)

***The love was, and remains, one-sided, obviously. 

How to not be a douchebag: Outdoor kiosk edition

There we were, sitting in the open-air piazza at Regina Pizzeria during the St. Anthony's feast in the North end of Boston at the end of August. 

Know why this picture is so good?
Because Valentino took it.

We'd ordered our two favorite pies (We're creatures of habit.) and had a lovely view of alllllll the people milling by and our old friends Rolling Stogies and their lovely sticks while consuming as many slices of pizza as two people can handle and not die.*

Our seats were the perfect vantage point to watch people who have never smoked a cigar choose one and then fumble around, trying to figure out what to do next. We would have gotten up and offered assistance, because we're nice like that, but we didn't because 1. We waited in line for half an hour for those seats and we were going to sit in them until we were forcably removed or melted by glaring stares of other people waiting in line; and 2. Pizza.

Here's what we saw, as the next generation of cigar smokers tried to impress friends and girlfriends. We had the sad and did much head shaking. 

If you want to look like a suave, experienced cigar smoker, please learn from their mistakes.

Step 1: Consult your friends and say the names of the few cigars you've heard of. Ask if the proprietor has those.  
What you should do: Right now, go to a local cigar shop or lounge, and ask the proprietor for recommendations; be sure to tell him** you're a novice. He will not judge you. He will welcome you. Take pictures of the bands and keep them in your phone, as well as make note of some of the names. No one will know you're you're using a cheat sheet when you approach the cigar kiosk with your friends. 

Step 1.5: Mention that you wouldn't mind buying a Cuban if he has any. 
What you should do: Don't ask. Even if he did have them, which he doesn't, he wouldn't sell them to you. 

Step 1.75: Dodge laser beams of hate radiating from proprietor's eyes. 
What you should do: Not have to worry about it, because you didn't ask.

Step 2: Ignore what the proprietor says because that cigar band over there looks cool. (No judgements; I buy books because they have cool covers.)
What you should do: Listen to the person speaking to you. He is an expert, or at least more of an expert than you are. Respect his knowledge. His goal is to sell you something you're going to like so you come back for more. 

Step 3: Select one cigar randomly and ask "Is this a good one?"
What you should do: Just like with food, everyone has their own taste. What Valentino loves, you might not because of the strength or taste or nicotine level. That doesn't make the cigar bad--just not right for you. So is it a good one? Yes--selling junk would hurt the shop's reputation. As for the Rolling Stogies, they only have premium cigars, so yes, they're all "good ones."

Step 4: Ignore proprietor again because your friend makes an uneducated suggestion. 
What you should do: Unless your friend has experience with cigars, you probably want to ignore him and listen to the person who knows what he's talking about. Probably a good suggestion across the board. 

"We're professionals. We're here to help!"

Step 5: Ask how much it is. 
What you should do: A valid question, of course. Usually, prices are marked.  If price is a concern, you might want to say when you first start chatting, "I'm looking for something in the $8 range." 

Step 6: When you're told the price, say, "What? For one? That's ridiculous. Forget it, man."
What you should do: If you are shocked, balk silently so as to not embarrass yourself in front of your friends. Please. It's the least you can do. Cigar smokers do not quibble over prices. You're paying for a hand-rolled product. Don't be a cheap bastard.  

Step 7: Have a dumbfounded look on your face when they ask if you'd like it cut straight, V, or punched. 
What you should do: For the love of all that is good and holy, do not suggest biting the end off. If you're not sure, default to straight. This will make smoking a bit easier. When you get some experience, you can experiment with different cuts. 

Step 7.5: Say you'll cut it and then when you're handed the cutter, slide the cutter about half an inch. 
What you should do: You have two choices here. 1. Hand the cigar to the proprietor when he offers and watch how he does it so you know for next time. Or: 2. Snip a teeny bit, and when we say teeny, we mean about one-sixteenth of an inch. According to Cigar Aficionado, a bad cut will ruin a cigar, so it's probably best, in this casual setting where distractions abound, to leave it to the professional. 

Step 8: Ask for matches and then try to light a cigar with said matches. 
What you should do: Unfortunately for you and the cigar, lighting a cigar with matches is difficult in general but definitely in this wind. We know you want to do it old school, but reject the challenge and use the proprietor's torch lighter he has at the ready.  If you're inside, go for it, but outside...meh. Your friends are only going to wait so long.

That's Mike (the Rolling Stogies owner), a good student,
and a slew of onlookers getting schooled.
Why is this weirdly blurry, you ask?
Sigh. Photography by Penny

Step 9: Puff once or twice because you saw someone on TV do that, feel satisfied and smug and walk away cockily. Realize twenty feet away that the cigar is out. 
What you should do: Lighting a cigar is a process that can't be rushed, like toasting a marshmallow, according to Cigar Aficionado. If your friends won't wait for you to complete the process because they light their cigs in a nanosecond, tell them you'll catch up with them. Otherwise you're going to be stuck with a dead stick pronto. 

Step 10: Hold your cigar with two fingers (pointer and thumb) while looking at the sky. Inhale. Raise your arm towards the sky and the arc it down like you're rowing a canoe. Blow the smoke straight up like you're a human smokestack. 
What you should do: Not that. Since we can't be there, we're going to suggest at this point, watch how the guys in the Rolling Stogies tent are smoking their cigars. 



[source]

So there you have it. We want you to look like a classy dude (or dudette). We want you to be the one folks look up to! We can help! Stick with us and we'll get you there!!



*Actually, Valentino saved a teeny tiny bit of room because our friend Omar was across the way shucking clams for immediate consumption as well. Then there was an arancini with my name on it too. It's always a big food day. Wheeeeee!

**Or her, obviously, but the he/she thing will clutter the writing. 

Call of the Wild (Wild West), Part the First

During IPCPR, the news started rolling out of the desert* about new and amazing (for the most part) smokes, stogies, tobacco tubes, whatever you want to call them, rustling up my interest somethin' fierce.

Let's talk about cowboys for a moment, shall we? When I was a kid, some of the best days were the ones I spent with my dad watching westerns on TV all Saturday afternoon. Rifleman! Alias Smith and Jones! Bonanza! The Big Valley!  Oh, there was fun! Adventure! Community! All the things I love (except cupcakes; there were never any cupcakes)! Plus lots of dirt, of which I am not a fan, but will certainly overlook for fun and adventure.**

Hello, boys! [source]

In decorating, I love the rusticness (rusticocity?) of the Old West, which does not jibe with Valentino's modern sensibilities. He does not love my four-poster bed and antique quilt. His fondness for found art is somewhere around his love for crying babies. (Nil.) The closest he's getting to swinging saloon doors is another viewing of Django Unchained.

Me: Yay!  Him: No! [source]

One day recently, I was accidentally on the CI website, accidentally looking for birthday gift ideas for Valentino. And I saw this:

CAO Brazilia Amazon Basin

My heart leapt. You can see the little bit of barbed-wiriness on that band, right? The band made out of tobacco leaf? The moment I saw it, a montage of happy Old West thoughts flashed through my brain***

It wasn't available for ordering yet, so I held my horses. And then! Then! We were at the St. Anthony's Feast in Boston the other day, visiting with our friends at Rolling Stogies

(Hi Mike! Hi Joe! Hi Kevin!!) [source]

...and guess what they had!!! The CAO Brazilia Amazon Basin! Zomygah, you guys!! It was even better (visually) than I suspected! Who turned the Cool Factor up to 11?

Granted, these aren't actually from the Old West (bad humidity and all) but instead from...well... Read this:

"The special sauce used to create Amazon Basin is a tobacco called 'Braganca,'**** a rare tobacco harvested from a remote region in the Amazonian rainforest. It’s really crazy, actually. Everything from its taste to the way it’s cultivated. Grown in a virgin, tropical land in the rainforest and harvested only once every 3 years, Braganca may be one of the most elusive tobaccos in the world.

"After the tobacco is harvested, it’s rolled by hand into tubes and fermented for 6 months. Then, it must be transported by canoe back to the mainland. Wild in every sense. To create CAO Amazon Basin, this Braganca tobacco was blended with tobaccos from 5 different countries and finished with a dark, Ecuadorian Sumatra ligero wrapper. But despite the breadth of tobaccos contained within, you can still taste and smell the unique Amazonian tobacco almost instantly. An exotic, distinctive taste that’s bold and very unique…unlike anything you’ve ever had before. 

"Additionally, each cigar is finished with a rustic, 100% twisted tobacco ‘band’ that adds another unique touch." <--shhh. That might be my favorite part!!

We bought three--one for Valentino, one for Caballero #2, and one for the humidor (which makes it sound like its a monster that needs to be fed--which I guess it kind of is.)

The Two Caballeros!! With their loot!

As we wandered around the festival some more, chatting about our exploits the next day (party!) we realized it would only be right to give the host one also.  Nothing for the humidor. (Shhh. I'm writing this from an undisclosed location so it doesn't know.)

This is why if I lived in the Old West, I would need the internet. As Valentino purchased ceci and fava beans from our favorite ceci dealer***** (Whatever, dude), I went onto the CI website and bought a five-pack. I know!! While surrounded by carnie games ready to shuck you and fresh oysters just waiting to be shucked! (Again, whatever, dude.)

On the ride home, our love grew deeper****** and upon arrival of Casa Fun, we moseyed for the online mercantile and lassoed a whole box.

Maybe we could send Valentino out to check the fences and do a little redecorating while we wait...



*Yes, like tumble weeds.

**I would love to live in the Old West if there were a few changes, including indoor plumbing, online shopping, and air conditioning.

***Including the Brady Bunch episode. What can I say? I'm a child of the 70s.

[source]

****Anyone else reading this as "Brangelina"? No? Just us?

*****I'm not sure if it's good or bad that he remembers us from year to year.

******Keep in mind, not one had been lit yet.