casa de montecristo i

While traveling in Chicago for business I stumbled upon a place that blew me away. I have been in a lot of cigar shops in my time, but this place was incredible. Starting from the time you walk in the door, the main floor was just unbelievable. A very large selection of great cigars as well as some great treasures. As the name implies, Montecristo is their focus and they have a single room dedicated to the brand. Apparently they have some very special ties to the manufacturer and have pre-released cigars that were surprisingly diverse in their tastes and as you would expect from Montecristo, extremely well done.Now we are just getting warmed up...They also have a room in the back for the rare and vintage cigars. Ladies and Gentlemen... you have hit the jackpot in this humidor. The offerings are too numerous to list, but needless to say I was very impressed. I would highly suggest just spending time wondering around here and looking all of the different types of cigars. This room is for the true coinsure, as a lot of this selection is priced up to and over $100 a stick.Now up to the roof and down to the basement...Once you have your cigars you may want to enjoy one while on site. You have the option to use a small but very nice room adjacent to the main floor which has comfortable seating and a television for your entertainment. But it only gets better from there.Upstairs there is deck seating area that is great when the weather permits. The setting is very nice and you can enjoy the views. But the real gem is in the basement. The VIP lounge is one of the best furnished places that I have ever visited within a cigar shop. The atmosphere is great and the surroundings are conducive to a relaxing conversation, a nice smoke and enjoying the company of friends. They even have a media room with stadium seating as well a conference rooms for meetings. All equipped to hand the smoke and atmosphere of a cigar friendly crowd. I had the pleasure of being introduced and helped by a young gentleman named Omar who was extremely knowledgeable and informative. The wait staff downstairs were very pleasant and helpful and I even had the opportunity to meet the owner, Sam.I would encourage anyone who enjoys the aroma of a fine cigar to visit and if you are of a mind to partake, then this is the place to be in the Chicago area. Stop by and see Sam, Omar and the guys. The locals are friendly as you would expect in a cigar shop and the staff are top notch. Tell them the big bald Texan sent you.- Peace, Chad