Posts filed under Sybarite Guide

Experience: NoMI Lounge at the Park Hyatt Chicago. An Ideal Place for Food, Wine and Watch Talk.

For a long time, we've been looking to find the perfect place in Chicago where watchlifestylers can enjoy some inspiring food and wines under the right atmosphere and lighting conditions to have a good talk about watches. Look no further, NoMI Lounge is the perfect spot for a casual get together or just a place to enjoy a chill afternoon in the company of friends, family or your significant other.

Located inside the luxurious Park Hyatt hotel off of Michigan Avenue —right by the iconic Water Tower landmark— this is a place that won't disappoint you. As you walk into the hotel, you already know that you are in for a nice treat.

Perfect decor, exquisite lounge music very similar to the one at the 'Hôtel Costes', different seating areas depending on the mood you are looking for and a well stocked cheese ripening fridge welcome you. As you make your way in, you'll also find the nicely designed and perfectly stocked bar.

NoMI Lounge offers a great selection of signature and classic cocktails, food to share that includes a nice assortment of fresh seafood, sushi, cheeses, charcuterie, paninis, flat breads and other heavier dishes that are also meant to be shared. Surprisingly enough, they carry the coveted 'Jamón Ibérico de Bellota' from Spain that we love. After sitting down we ordered a few dishes, started sipping our 'rosé' —nothing fancy just a Domaine de Figueirasse— and enjoyed our conversation about watches and the good life.

Our food selection included some burrata with thyme and honey, a grilled flat bread with peaches, goat cheese and arugula, a sharp cheddar pimento spread with garlic aioli and the 'panisse' with goat cheese, rosemary and balsamic. We have not had 'panisse' since our last time in Paris. A 'panisse' is a chickpea flour cake that is fried in the shape of small rectangular logs with a texture very similar to that of fried 'polenta' that is very common in the south of France.

After enjoying the delicious savory food, we decided to order their assortment of cookies and candies, paired with a couple of glasses of Canadian Inniskillin Icewine. Perfect pairing for the little box of sweet treats. Glad the treat box included our favorite French macarons, almost as good as those from Pierre Hermé in Paris.

After a wonderful evening with great conversation, watches, fantastic foods and wine, another great day in the life of a watchlifestyler ends. The watches featured here are an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02 and Chanel J12 Automatic in 38mm ref. H0970.

Dear watchlifestylers: The next time that you contact us for a quick get together, you know where we will be meeting for a nice watch talk. Hasta pronto amigos!

For more info on NoMI Lounge click here. For more info on AP here and Chanel here.

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Audemars Piguet, Sybarite Guide and tagged Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02 Chanel J12 Automatic in 38mm ref. H0970 NoMI Lounge Park Hyatt Hotel Chicago Water Tower Chicago Jamón Ibérico de Bellota Domaine de Figueirasse Inniskillin Icewine Pierre Herme Macarons Paris Panisse France.

Experience: Puerto Madero. A Great Argentinean Restaurant in Mexico.

We are suckers for Argentinean steakhouses and we know a lot about them. We are lucky to have been to some of the best ones in Buenos Aires, New York City, and Mexico City. This time we stopped by 'Puerto Madero', a relatively newer place —considering the decades that others have been around in Mexico City— that was launched as a fierce competitor to other very popular Argentinean steakhouse names like 'El Rincón Argentino' and 'Cambalache'. 'El Rincón Argentino' was opened in the 80s by Juan Carlos Malazzo, a former soccer player for the Argentinean team River Plate a.k.a. 'Los Millonarios de River' —the millionaires from River. 'Cambalache' was partially owned by the now-deceased Argentinean actor and wrestler Wolf Ruvinskis.

'Puerto Madero' opened its first location in the upscale Mexico City neighborhood of 'Polanco' on 'Presidente Mazaryk' Avenue —the equivalent to Madison Ave. in NYC, Orchard Street in Singapore, or Bond Street in London— and after a successful launch, made its way to other areas and cities throughout Mexico and now it even has a location in Miami, Florida under the PM name. Its name was taken from the popular 'Puerto Madero' waterfront in the city of Buenos Aires right on the banks of the 'Río de la Plata' river. The 'Puerto Madero' waterfront is one of the best examples of the latest architectural trends in the capital city of Argentina.

This time we decided to have lunch at the one located in Cancun, Quintana Roo. The 'Puerto Madero' is one of the preferred places for watchlifestylers enjoying the good life. During our lunch, we spotted a great selection of watches that included several Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks, Offshores, a few Hublots, and a handful of Rolexes.

As we walked into the restaurant ,we were greeted by the grilling rooms and one of the best stocked bars in the city. The grills are really amazing as the cooking grids are suspended in the air and held by chains fitted with a mechanism that allows the grill masters to lift or lower the meats as desired depending on the cooking temperature that is required.

Once we got to our table, we noticed the beautiful design touches on the perfectly white chairs where the backrests feature the names of the most important family owned wineries in Argentina.

After sitting down, we ordered a few beers, appetizers and wine. The selection included an amazing Octopus Carpaccio, a 'Provoleta' —grilled provolone cheese with olive oil and herbs— and a few 'Empanadas Argentinas' —Argentinean style turnovers filled with meat. Immediately thereafter, we started talking about watches and the good life.

Along with our appetizers, a bottle of delicious Argentinean 'Saurus Select 2009' arrived to our table. 'Saurus Select' is a Malbec wine produced and bottled in the province of Neuquen in the Patagonia region of Argentina by the renowned Bodega Familia Schroeder. An oaky, full-bodied wine that is a perfect pairing for Argentinean steaks.

While we talked about the latest watches presented at Baselworld 2013 and each of our wish lists, we decided to order the main course. Of course, we ordered one of the most popular Argentinean steaks, 'Bife de Chorizo' —an over-sized New York Strip. Along with it, the traditional 'Papas Souffle' —souffle fries— that are a staple at this place. These fries are fried at different temperatures making them extra crunchy on the outside but soft and full of air as a 'souffle' on the inside—a culinary work of art. The basket in which they are served is also made of fried potatoes and fully edible.

As we finished our meal, we decided to move out to the gorgeous terrace overlooking the 'Nichupte' lagoon to enjoy our dessert, cigars and Port. For dessert, a delicious cheese blintze topped with berries and a house made 'Alfajor' with tons of 'Dulce de Leche'. This time, we smoked Sir Winston Churchill's favorite brand, Romeo y Julieta straight from Habana, Cuba.

As we finished our desserts, sipped our Ports and smoked our cigars, another story of the good life came to an end. Another day in the life of watchlifestylers.

Health, watches, amazing food, fantastic wines and the best Habanos. The only other thing we could ask for in this life is to live a long existence. Watchlifestylers remember, this moment is your life.

For more info on 'Puerto Madero' restaurants click here.

Experience: La Casa del Habano, Cancun Mexico. A Wonderful Afternoon With Cuban Cigars and Rum.

On a recent trip to Mexico, we visited the famous 'La Casa del Habano' located in Cancun Quintana Roo, Mexico —the first international franchise of 'La Casa del Habano' that opened in 1990.

'La Casa del Habano' is considered a temple by those that enjoy smoking a good Cuban cigar —one of the finest pleasures in life— and a place where one can spend a whole afternoon sipping Cuban rums and smoking a handful of hard-to-find delicious 'Habanos'.

Since this was our first time at this location, we decided to walk around and absorb as much as we could of the amazing atmosphere. This is a store where you can discover interesting things in every little corner of it and where cigars, humidors, ashtrays, head sculptures and cigar knickknacks take the main stage.

One great thing about this location, is that the bar is nicely stocked with Cuban rums and you can sip some of the best 'Mojitos' made to order with 'Havana Club' rum. At this sanctuary of the finest Cuban cigars and rums, you can enjoy every variety of 'Havana Club' —including '7 Años', 'Añejo Especial', 'Gran Reserva 15 Años', Cuban Barrel Proof and even the rare 'Selección de Maestros'— and even the limited production 'Ron Extra Añejo Reserva Especial 15 Años Edmundo Dantes' —only 3,000 bottles become available every once in a while.

As we walked around the store, we noticed the beautiful domino playing table with an original Cuban domino set. The biggest difference between the traditional dominoes and the Cuban dominoes, is that the tiles include double-nines —55 piece set— instead of only double-sixes —28 piece set— on traditional sets. The game of dominoes is the national game of Cuba and for many, the best leisure activity to be enjoyed with friends and family. In the United States, this tradition is kept alive at the 'Maximo Gomez' Domino Park in Calle Ocho in the heart of Miami, Florida. A place where many of 'Los Veteranos' —older Cuban gentlemen— smoke a cigar and enjoy an afternoon playing domino with friends.

As we continued to look around, we found four brass head sculptures of iconic cigar aficionados that include Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, John F. Kennedy, Sir Winston Churchill and the legendary cigar maker Alejandro Robaina —the most famous and renowned cigar maker from the region of 'Vuelta Abajo' in Cuba. In 1997, Habanos S.A. honored Robaina by launching a line of cigars bearing the name of his famous plantation, 'Vegas Robaina'.

Once we headed inside the main humidor room, we picked a few 'Habanos' to smoke while we were there. The selection included an H. Upmann 'Edición Limitada 2009', a Romeo y Julieta 'Coronitas en Cedro' and a Bolivar No. 3.

As we kicked-off the afternoon with some amazing 'Mojitos' —notice the sugar cane that was used to mash the mint leaves— we decided to begin our cigar journey by lighting up the H. Upmann 'Edición Limitada 2009'. A fantastic cigar that is worth having its own full separate review that will be published very soon.

As we sipped our drinks and smoked our fine cigars, we walked around the store one more time, to discover other great things worth talking about. As we walked around the area where the chest humidors are displayed, we found a fine looking handmade 'Vegas Robaina' cedar chest humidor with three large drawers that can hold up to 250 cigars. A unique piece of art and the most beautiful chest humidor we have seen lately. The decoration on the door of the chest is made of different types of natural straw and wood veneer to create the iconic image of Alejandro Robaina in his plantation. The drawers come with multiple dividers that can be arranged by the owner as desired and the Sticker Price only $1,800 USD.

For those brave enough to leave the air conditioned space, there's a beautiful terrace overlooking the mangroves next to the 'Nichupte' lagoon where the hot and humid weather will make you feel like you are smoking a cigar near 'El Vedado' in Habana, Cuba.

As we sipped more 'Mojitos', tried a handful of Cuban rums —including the 'Edmundo Dantes' that was even better than a Zacapa X.O.— and smoked our last Habano —a Bolivar No. 3— in the company of a delicious Danesi espresso, the afternoon drifted away into the evening under a hot and humid mid-Summer day in Cancun. As we departed this temple of 'The Good Life', we promised our friends at 'La Casa del Habano' that we would be back very soon. It only took another day before we stopped by one more time.

La Casa del Habano Cancún

Boulevard Kukulkan Km. 12.7

Cancún, Quintana Roo, México 77500

+52 998 840 7000

Experience: Romeo y Julieta, Romeo No. 3. The Perfect Cigar for Ladies Enjoying the Good Life.

This time, we are reviewing the Romeo y Julieta Romeo No. 3, a cigar perfectly suited for those ladies that want to enjoy a cigar or for those watchlifestylers wanting to smoke more than one cigar in an evening. By the way, Romeo y Julieta is one of our favorite brands of Habanos from Cuba due to their smooth and aromatic nature.

Named after William Shakespeare’s tragic lovers novel, Romeo y Julieta dates back to 1875 when the brand was established. In 1946, during Sir Winston's Churchill visit to Cuba, the brand instantly became his favorite. Afterwards, Romeo y Julieta decided to add Churchill's name to their 'vitolas' in order to describe the brand's most famous size —Churchills— measuring 7" long with a 47 ring gauge.

Romeo y Julieta Romeo No. 3 is a short 'Corona' a.k.a. 'Coronita' that is available in tubes and boxes of three. The Romeo y Julieta brand offers some of the smoothest Habanos thanks to the well balanced blend of selected leaves that come from the 'Vuelta Abajo' region in Cuba.

Romeo No. 3 is a cigar that measures 4.6" in length with a 40 ring gauge. The color of this cigar is medium brown —very common color among 'Vuelta Abajo' cigars— with strong notes of coffee and pepper in one of the smoothest Habanos you will find in the market. Comparable cigars in terms of smoothness would be the H. Upmman Edición Limitada 2009, the Cohiba Siglo III and the Romeo y Julieta Coronitas en Cedro.

This smooth and delicious cigar offers a flavor profile that remains even through almost the whole cigar with a minor variation towards the last quarter of it. Burning time of approximately 30 minutes without too frequent puffing. The cigar is perfectly rolled but not in a very tight way, regardless, it won't go out even if you are an inexperienced cigar smoker.

Overall, this is a perfect cigar for ladies wanting to enjoy one of the biggest pleasures that the good life brings or for those experienced cigar aficionados that like to smoke several cigars after a good meal.

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Chanel, Sybarite Guide and tagged Romeo y Julieta Romeo No. 3 Habanos Romeo y Julieta Chanel J12 White Ceramic Chanel J12 H0970 2013.

Experience: Alfajores Cachafaz. Two Classics Meet for Coffee and Dessert.

It's been a long time since we've met with Gonzalo for some coffee and 'alfajores'. Gonzalo is a watchlifestyler and close friend from Argentina. On his last visit to Chicago, he stopped by for an espresso and brought with him some delicious 'alfajores' from his home country. We were expecting 'alfajores' Havanna but he surprised us with Cachafaz. After asking him what had happened to the traditional 'alfajores' Havanna he always brings along, he said, "Cachafaz is now my favorite brand. Just like with watches, taste evolves over time".

'Alfajores' are a very typical dessert in Uruguay and Argentina. An 'alfajor' consists of two round, sweet biscuits joined together with 'dulce de leche' and coated with dark chocolate or white chocolate. There is also a variation called 'alfajor de nieve' that has a coating consisting of a mixture of egg whites and sugar.

Gonzalo started his watch collecting life approximately fifteen years ago after he left Buenos Aires and relocated to South Florida. This time he was wearing a classic Rolex Datejust ref. 116200. The watch on our wrist that day was an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400.

As we sipped our espressos and shared a few 'alfajores', we just couldn't stop talking about watches and the good life. Nothing like sharing foods that bring memories from our younger years in the company of good friends and classic watches.

For more info on Cachafaz click here.

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Sybarite Guide, Audemars Piguet and tagged Alfajores Cachafaz Buenos Aires Argentina Alfajores Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Rolex Datejust ref. 116200 Alfajores Havanna 2013.

Experience: Montecristo No. 3. One of the Finest Habanos in the World.

As we were getting ready to enjoy another sunset at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman down in the Cayman Islands, we pulled out an Habano to enjoy the moment even more. Really, there's nothing better than a good cigar on the beach, wearing a nice watch and contemplating a beautiful sunset.

This time, we enjoyed a Montecristo No. 3 —a hand rolled Cuban cigar that is typically used as the benchmark when rating other fine cigars.

Montecristo has set the bar quite high for almost 80 years since its launch in 1935. Its name was taken from Alexandre Dumas' novel 'The Count of Montecristo'. The story accounts that when the factory first opened, the manager used to read the novel to the 'torcedores'—rollers— and they liked the novel so much, that they wanted to immortalize the main character of the novel by naming their fine cigars 'Montecristo'.

The Montecristo No. 3 only includes leaves from the region of 'Vuelta Abajo'. This Cuban region is home to the best tobacco leaves in the world. From fillers to binders and wrapper, all are 'Vuelta Abajo' leaves. 'Vuelta Abajo' is located in the western tip of Cuba in the province of 'Pinar del Río' by the towns of 'San Juan y Martínez' and 'San Luis'.

This region is also the main source of tobacco for Habanos, and the only region that grows all types of leaf. But even in this amazing region, less than a quarter of the tobacco growing land enjoys the 'Vegas Finas de Primera' status that is required for the Habanos.

Montecristo No. 3 is a Coronas measuring 5 5/8" in length with a 42 ring gauge. With hints of leather, coffee and ambergris, this cigar is rich and powerful. Flavor profile stays even for the first two thirds of the cigar and becomes stronger on the last third. Around 50 minutes of burning time in a perfectly rolled cigar with perfect draw and almost perfect even burn —went out just once, possibly due to the strong evening sea breeze.

While this cigar is a joy to smoke, we only recommended it for more experienced smokers. Due to its intensity, we feel it might be too much to take for someone looking to try a cigar for the very first time.

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Audemars Piguet, Sybarite Guide and tagged Montecristo No. 3 Audemars Piguet Diver Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Vuelta Abajo Pinar del Río Vegas Finas de Primera San Juan y Martínez San Luís Cuba The Count of Montecristo Alexandre Dumas Torcedores 2013.

Experience: Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche. A Well Balanced Cigar.

After a delicious meal at Julian Serrano in Las Vegas and while finishing our last glass of sangría, we headed down to View Bar to enjoy a fine cigar. This time an Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche from Honduras. It's nowhere near the 'real' Hoyo de Monterrey from Cuba but it's quite good.

Made at the renowned General Cigar Company in Honduras —one of two of the largest cigar factories in the world—, the Dark Sumatra is a more robust version of the original Hoyo de Monterrey from that country. This complex mature cigar features a Dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic and Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro binders.

The Media Noche is a 'Corona Gorda' measuring 5¾ inches in length with a 54 ring gauge. With hints of coffee, roasted nuts, and leather, this cigar is smooth but rich at the same time. Flavor profile changes every 15 to 20 minutes with at least 50 minutes of good burn.

The leaves are rolled with the perfect tightness for a perfect draw, even burn and a long ash. This cigar is so well rolled that it does not require relighting at all.

If you want a mature, complex cigar that is yet smooth, the Hoyo de Monterrrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche will not let you down.

For more info click here.

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Sybarite Guide, Audemars Piguet and tagged Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche General Cigar Company Honduras View Bar Julian Serrano Las Vegas Audemars Piguet Diver Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche 2013.

Experience: Elie Bleu Che Humidor. The Best Humidors in the World.

Elie Bleu of Paris has long been renowned as the maker of the world's best humidors and also of some of the most fascinating watch cases and cabinets. Founded in 1976 in the heart of the Parisian artistic woodwork area in Fabourg Saint-Antoine, Elie Bleu humidors are a work of art and individually handcrafted. In 2000, the company launched its first line of watch cases and in 2005 during BaselWorld, they presented watch storing cabinets fitted with up to a hundred automatic winders. In 2009, Elie Bleu was granted the 'Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant'—Living Heritage Companies—recognition.

Each Elie Bleu humidor is individually handcrafted in France from precious fruitwood and finished with up to eight fine coats of clear varnish to provide a striking lacquered sycamore finish. All their wood is open air cured for a minimum of ten years to eliminate the possibility of sapping, cracking or warping. To be honest, no other humidor can match Elie Bleu's quality, durability, beauty, heirloom potential and reliability for generations of use.

All Elie Blue humidors are fitted with a gorgeous and very accurate analog hygrometer, separator and their patented humidifying unit that is guaranteed to last between two to three years. The hinges and front lock are delicately finished to guarantee hermetic cigar keeping and smooth opening and closing of the humidor.

The 'Che' Guevara humidor line is one of our favorites and for sure meant to become a future rarity and a collector's item. The 'Che' humidor line includes some of the most fascinating and colorful designs, all of them utilizing Alberto Korda's iconic portrait of 'Che' Guevara or the color palette of the Cuban flag. This particular humidor fits up to 75 cigars and provides a beautiful cedar-wood smell that will captivate your senses. Sticker price for this Elie Bleu humidor: $2785.

The 'Che' limited edition humidor is almost as rare as the Rolex GMT Master ref. 1675 'Che' used to wear.

For more info on this beautiful humidors and to buy one like this click here.

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Editor & Publisher and filed under Food Wine & Cigars, Rolex, Sybarite Guide and tagged Elie Bleu Humidor Che Elie Bleu GMT Master 1675 2013.

Experience: Château Lafite Rothschild 1962. One of the Most Amazing Wines in the World.

Without a doubt one of the finest and most complex wines in the world. This Bordeaux wine from the Haute-Medoc region and bottled in Pauillac, France is a superb combination of body, taste and aromas only possible in a wine of this caliber and pedigree. Domaines Baron Rothschild dates back to 1234. Even though the property was not in the Bordeaux region at the time, it is thought that vines were already at the estate owned by Gombaud de Lafite the original owner of the Château were this wine comes from. Interesting enough the Château still maintains the name of that original owner. While vines were probably in existence at Lafite, it was not until around 1680, that the majority of the vineyards of what we know today as Lafite Rothschild were created. In the 17th century, the property of Château Lafite was purchased by the Ségur family. It is known that Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States liked Château Lafite Rothschild so much that he purchased multiple cases of the wine.

The complexity and power of this wine is one that can only be understood and experienced when having the honor and pleasure of uncorking one and sipping it.

The notes are high on tannins, red cherries and wild mushrooms on the palate and oak and vergamot on the nose.

Price range between $1,000 and $1,500 per bottle. However, be very careful as to who you buy from. We know from very good sources that some of the bottles in this vintage might have already turned into vinegar due to lack of proper wine storing.

For more info on this wine click here.