If you thought the world’s top-rated chefs and cigars were a poor mix because of their refined palates, you would be wrong! Some of the top chefs from famed Michelin-starred restaurants are as passionate about cigars as they are the food they cook. Chef Eric Ripert tastes up to twenty sauces a day and still counts on a great cigar almost every day. Some chefs look forward to cigars for a quiet moment after a busy dinner shift in the company of fellow kitchen staff. Others savor them as part of a big meal finale with friends and family. One thing is certain, chefs and cigars definitely have their place in the kitchen!

Cohibas in the Kitchen

Chefs Eric Ripert and Jose Andres have built significant restaurant empires with multiple outposts located in favorite cigar hot spots like Las Vegas, Miami, and New York. The chefs have vastly different cooking styles. Ripert is a brilliant technician with fish. Andres is a leader of the tapas or small plate movement that set the standard in the country. What they have in common, though, is a love of brilliantly crafted cigars.

The smokes Ripert and Andres enjoy, reflect their personalities and their cooking styles. Ripert’s go-to cigar is a Cohiba Esplendido, which has a smaller ring gauge and tends toward a milder flavor. Andres favors the Cohiba Behike, a brasher, bigger ring gauge cigar that packs plenty of punch.

Chefs and Cigars Help Create a Great Anniversary Davidoff

Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry is such a cigar enthusiast, that he and four fellow chef friends were asked to create a fiftieth-anniversary cigar for Davidoff. The tobaccos selected became the Davidoff Chef’s Edition and reflect the food and spices that embody the chef’s preferred food pairings.

Rich flavors infuse the final tobacco blend. These include the essences of licorice, oak wood, Szechuan pepper, coffee, cumin, and chocolate. According to the chefs, the most compelling part of the creative process was the fermentation of the tobaccos. Creating the different flavor profiles was like choosing the flavor profiles and components that go into a fine meal. The top chefs and cigars they created were a recipe for a great smoke.

Emeril Loves Hand Rolled Cigars

Famed chef, Emeril Lagasse has been smoking cigars most of his life. What intrigues him most is the craftsmanship behind a well-made cigar. Hand rolling is artistry, and part of the entire cigar smoking experience. Like food, it’s important to know where your cigar comes from.

The journey from tobacco seed to cigar is no different than the journey of the food he cooks. It’s something he taught his own kids, “Orange juice doesn’t come from a carton; it’s the same thing with cigars. People don’t understand all that goes into growing it, aging it, enjoying it.”

Chefs and Cigars Create the Perfect Dessert Alternative

All the chefs had one thing in common; they would skip dessert in favor of a cigar. Timing is everything and after a big meal, a cigar is a perfect complement. Especially when paired with the right cocktail. Aged tequilas and scotches more than compensate for dessert.

Thomas Keller stocks a custom-made humidor at the French Laundry. Keller offers rarities like cigars to guests instead of dessert. No matter what the meal is, don’t forget to add a cigar to the menu and create your own recipe for a good smoke!

Photo credit: Davidoff

If you flip through the channels fast enough, at some point you are going to find a show featuring Steve Harvey’s smiling face. You can catch him in any number of movies or sitcom reruns. You will also likely find him hosting one of several shows such as his Emmy-winning daytime talk show, “The Family Feud,” “Little Big Shots,” or any number of beauty pageants. Cigar lover Steve Harvey is the hardest working man in showbiz today and, yes, he enthusiastically indulges in the cigar lifestyle.

Time Is Money

Time is money. Everyone knows that or should know that, and discovering the path leading to the greatest reward quickly is essential for success. In fact, during the early 1900s, there was a famous bank robber named Willie Sutton. Sutton was unique compared to others in that his victims considered him as the most polite bank robber there was. At one point, Sutton was asked why he chose to rob banks. His response was simple: “Because that’s where the money is.”

This level of simplicity and rationalization doesn’t stop with Sutton, though. If you ask Harvey why he smokes cigars, and he’ll give you an equally pithy answer, “Because that’s all I’ve got!” Expanding on that, he says, “I need these little moments for me.”

From the time Harvey wakes up until the time he goes to bed, he takes multi-tasking to the next level. If it’s not the television shows, comedy specials, or one of the new books he is writing, he could easily be talking with one of the Presidents. He has consulted with both Presidents — Trump and Obama.

Steve Harvey on Staying Humble

Steve Harvey was far from an overnight success. He grew up in West Virginia as the son of a coal miner. Harvey held several jobs before catching his first break. Even then, he continued living out of his car until the age of thirty. Additionally, he was no stranger to bathing at the public pools. Harvey has never forgotten his roots or the lessons his mother taught him about staying humble and paying it forward.

As someone who grew up less fortunate, Harvey focuses on those less fortunate than him today. He received an NAACP Image Award for his philanthropic endeavors, but it’s not about giving money. His advice books on marriage and rising to your full potential have helped countless readers.

Steve Harvey and Living Large

Just because the man hasn’t forgotten his roots, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy the finer things in life. On television, Harvey is known for his dazzling clothing style (he believes he owns well over 300 suits). One of his biggest extravagances is cigars.

With homes and offices in Atlanta and Chicago, he makes sure he is always fully stocked at all times. In both offices, he has five different humidors covering an array of cigars. One is dedicated to Cubans, another to Davidoff, and one to the funky Acid Collection which he keeps separate from everything else. He is most proud of the humidor in his Atlanta man cave. It’s the size of a small retail store!

Steve Harvey: That’s a Fine Wrap

Steve was late to the cigar lifestyle. He began in earnest with the birth of his son while in his early forties. Since then, cigars are part of his day, even if that day is scheduled down to the minute.

His smoking habits reflect that and he enjoys what he calls twenty-minute smokes. These quick smokes are typically mild to medium-flavored short cigars with a substantial ring gauge. When he feels particularly luxurious and has the time to spare, he’ll enjoy one of his favorites like a Fuente Opus X or Cohiba Siglo VI. Harvey jokes that he’s not a cigar snob; he wants his cigar to look and feel like a cigar — anything but a cigarette!

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