Smoking, Be Banned

By Julene McCoy in Miscellaneous on Jan 19, 2006 2:26PM

So far the smoking ban hasn't affected us that much, except for the pondering of whether or not a certain bar will still allow it or exactly how far is 15 feet? Last night Chicagoist stopped by the Marshall McGearty Tobacco Lounge (1553 N. Milwaukee Ave.) and indulged in some coffee and cigarettes.

The $8 price per pack (including tax) for the hand rolled specialty cigarettes didn't cause us to bat our lashes, since we know from experience that isn't so outrageous anymore. After consulting with the very knowledgeable and friendly staff about what our normal cigarettes were; what we liked in foreign cigarattes; and smelling some great blends of tobacco, we settled on The Earl which is made of mellow Oriental tobaccos mixed with Indian spices and an undercurrent of tea flavor. These cigarettes, which were delivered to our table, definitely had the aroma of an Earl Gray tea and smoked with a very heady feeling which we likened to a champagne buzz.

The atmosphere was more coffee house, than lounge and plenty of choices in seating were available for groups of any size. Even though RJ Reynolds established this first of its kind lounge to be a high-end retailer of tobacco products, the details within don't come off as snobbish or elitist. We will definitely stop by again for the low priced coffee and maybe a drink or two since they also offer wine, beer and bourbon.