Gordon Mott

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Dream Cigar Spot

Posted: 11:04 AM ET, August 31, 2007

Have you ever found yourself in a spot where you realize that it is the perfect location to have a cigar…and you didn’t have one with you? It happened to me last Saturday. Now, I didn’t have a cigar because it was a lunch at a restaurant in New York State, which means No Smoking, No Way. And, the forecast was for 100 degree temperatures, so I wasn’t eager to sweat it out outside just to smoke. And I wasn’t that far from home, so I knew if the urge hit the party, we could always retire to my house.

But as I entered the property, my first thought was, ‘What a perfect place to enjoy a cigar!”

The place is called Monteverde at Oldstone Manor, a newly renovated restaurant and spa with rooms that overlook the Hudson River just north of the town of Peekskill. The establishment had a long, and undistinguished, history up until about a year ago when an investor bought the property. He is now in the process of transforming it into a world-class destination with a top-notch restaurant. The lunch was great. The vistas were spectacular.

And, the next day, I called my friend who is the general manager there, Glen Vogt. Glen was formerly at Windows on the World, and, is one of the restaurant world’s great people. I asked him, “So what are you going to do about your cigar program? “He laughed, and said, “yeah, did you see the gazebo area, wouldn’t that be perfect?”

So we have a date. I’m going to bring some of my favorite cigars. He’ll supply the adult beverage, and we’ll sit on the lawn overlooking the Hudson talking about how best to capitalize on Monteverde’s unique allure to cigar smokers.

I’ll let you know what happens.

Have you ever had that reaction to a place? And, what did you do about it?

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