Martinez Cigar Co.

With Jr. coming back home from school for Spring Break and having some time to kill before his train's arrival I decided to hit Martinez on 29th Street off 7th Avenue. The vibe is very cool and friendly, the $7 medium-bodied Maduro Torpedo ( Filler and Binder from Nicaragua with Ecuadorian wrapper) was surprisingly very good. The visit takes an interesting turn when a regular patron, Carlos, an ex-percussionist from the Bronx, walks in and immediately recognizes me and we start swopping old Salsa war stories. Then, another regular, Tony, recognizes me as well from my old merengue days, taking me back to my Los Bravos Bravisimo and Manzano y La Creacion Dominicana days. Needless to say, I had a great time then the highlight of my day, seeing my young apprentice after what seems like a few months. Looking forward to spending some time with my boy.