SterlingGuy writes: “I was hankering for a cigar the other night and went to Yelison (small store next to Tom’s Diner, the corner of Washington and Sterling) to see what kind of trashy smoke I could get to go with a bottle of cheap rum. The guy handed me some thin cigarellos and my face must have betrayed my mild disgust and deep disappointment. So he immediately reached under the counter and came up with two nice fat cigars (I had a friend with me) from what looked like his own secret supply. They were cheap and not great, but at least they looked like real cigars and lasted longer than five minutes. Fat cigars and cheap rum — perfect for a warm night with friends!”
“I was surprised this guy did this, since he has never been very friendly, and was even less so after I tried my gringo Spanish on him. But when he dropped that stogie on the counter, my eyes lit up and he gave me a big nod and a smile.”
“Later that week, on one of those super-hot nights, I went to buy beer and he traded the warm bottles I had grabbed from the cooler for some Coronas he had stashed in his freezer. I like to think the two events are connected, like I passed the neighborhood cigar test.”
Read more: 2 Questions – FreshDirect and Smoking Cigars [Prospect Heights Message Boards]
IMAGE: rhodamine / Citynoise.org