PuroEsq
The Member Formerly Known as "JAEwing"
Last Friday I was in San Jose for the deposition of one of my clients. After driving 2 hours through road construction and crazy drivers I was a bit iritated when the deposition lasted all of about 30 minutes!
So there I am in San Jose with time to kill because I had cleared the rest of my calendar to accomodate this Friday afternoon deposition. I go to a gas station and drop almost $60 in the tank :angry: and wonder if it is worth my time to try to find a cigar shop. So I pull over to a phone booth (they still have those around) and it actually had an intact yellow pages.
Thumbing through the yellow pages I find the cigar/cigarette section. Of course there are numerous cigarette outlets and such as well as 6 or 8 cigar shops. Just hten I realize I have no idea how I am going to find any of these considering I have no clue where any of these streets are in San Jose. For all I know the street could be an hour away or so. Then I see a name I recognize . . . The Alameda. I see that there is a shop on The Alameda and that is a street I recognize as an exit not far up the freeway that I had passed earlier in the day.
The name of the shop is Mission Pipe Shop.
Not sure what I will find considering there are so many places that are poorly stocked and staffed even worse. Some are liquor stores with a nice selection of Backwood Smokes and Swishers and others make a good living selling water pipes and "other stuff" if you are a regular.
Imagine my surprise when I walk in to a beautiful cigar and pipe shop! The entire side and back walls are cabinet humidors with a huge selection of many different cigars. The other wall is well stocked with pipes and pipe tobacco. Immediately I am greeted by a friendly staff member and asked if I need any assistance. The I notice there is a back room which serves as a smoking lounge and card room where the regulars are playing Texas Hold'em for cigars.
Now comes the most fortunate of circumstances.
After wandering around for a couple minutes drooling over the Fuentes, Tatuajes, Toranos, LFD, ERDM, etc. etc. I find out that they are hosting a tasting event which is going to begin in a couple minutes. This even was featuring Punch cigars with boxes marked down 25%. Also, you got your picture taken (which looks like the Punch advertisements with the jester shadow in the background) and a free double corona. They gave you an 8x10 color print of your photo as well as four other official advertisement photos with the pictures of the celebrities who posed for them (Dennis Hopper, Terry Bradshaw etc.) I was also told that all the pics taken that day would also be posted on their website.
The shop also provided drinks and food to accompany the free cigars. So here I am in San Jose at a great cigar shop smoking a Punch Double Corona and enjoying some nice food and drink . . . not to mention talking with the staff and guests. Before I leave I buy a cigar and thank the staff for their hospitality. All in all a very good time and it made my drive to San Jose for a 30 minute deposition well worth my time and gasoline!
So . . . if you ever find yourself in San Jose you should try to take the time to check out this fine shop.
Mission Pipe Shop
1205 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 293-5144
www.missionpipe.com
missionpipe@missionpipe.com
So there I am in San Jose with time to kill because I had cleared the rest of my calendar to accomodate this Friday afternoon deposition. I go to a gas station and drop almost $60 in the tank :angry: and wonder if it is worth my time to try to find a cigar shop. So I pull over to a phone booth (they still have those around) and it actually had an intact yellow pages.
Thumbing through the yellow pages I find the cigar/cigarette section. Of course there are numerous cigarette outlets and such as well as 6 or 8 cigar shops. Just hten I realize I have no idea how I am going to find any of these considering I have no clue where any of these streets are in San Jose. For all I know the street could be an hour away or so. Then I see a name I recognize . . . The Alameda. I see that there is a shop on The Alameda and that is a street I recognize as an exit not far up the freeway that I had passed earlier in the day.
The name of the shop is Mission Pipe Shop.
Not sure what I will find considering there are so many places that are poorly stocked and staffed even worse. Some are liquor stores with a nice selection of Backwood Smokes and Swishers and others make a good living selling water pipes and "other stuff" if you are a regular.
Imagine my surprise when I walk in to a beautiful cigar and pipe shop! The entire side and back walls are cabinet humidors with a huge selection of many different cigars. The other wall is well stocked with pipes and pipe tobacco. Immediately I am greeted by a friendly staff member and asked if I need any assistance. The I notice there is a back room which serves as a smoking lounge and card room where the regulars are playing Texas Hold'em for cigars.
Now comes the most fortunate of circumstances.
After wandering around for a couple minutes drooling over the Fuentes, Tatuajes, Toranos, LFD, ERDM, etc. etc. I find out that they are hosting a tasting event which is going to begin in a couple minutes. This even was featuring Punch cigars with boxes marked down 25%. Also, you got your picture taken (which looks like the Punch advertisements with the jester shadow in the background) and a free double corona. They gave you an 8x10 color print of your photo as well as four other official advertisement photos with the pictures of the celebrities who posed for them (Dennis Hopper, Terry Bradshaw etc.) I was also told that all the pics taken that day would also be posted on their website.
The shop also provided drinks and food to accompany the free cigars. So here I am in San Jose at a great cigar shop smoking a Punch Double Corona and enjoying some nice food and drink . . . not to mention talking with the staff and guests. Before I leave I buy a cigar and thank the staff for their hospitality. All in all a very good time and it made my drive to San Jose for a 30 minute deposition well worth my time and gasoline!
So . . . if you ever find yourself in San Jose you should try to take the time to check out this fine shop.
Mission Pipe Shop
1205 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
(408) 293-5144
www.missionpipe.com
missionpipe@missionpipe.com
