Cigar Weekly

By Ron Paglia
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, August 17, 2008

"Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar. You're gonna go far ..." -- Pink Floyd, 1975. Lyrics by Roger Waters.

Anyone who served in the military will recall (with varied degrees of fondness) an invitation by the drill instructor to "Light 'em up if you have 'em."

Today, in a time when smoking bans are the trend, the command is more likely to be "Put that out" -- except for establishments that cater to smokers, cigar smokers specifically. Places like Leaning House Fine Cigars and Collectibles in Speers.

"Am I content? Darn right," said Charles "Sonny" Bezak of Lincoln Place (near Munhall) while drawing on his cigar amid a gentle cloud of smoke rolling toward the ceiling of the lounge. "I love this place; it's the best around (the Pittsburgh area). Everyone makes you feel at home."

That's the way owners Dave Puskavich of Belle Vernon and Chris Glagola of Uniontown want it to be.

"The basic concept is a place (for smokers) to come, relax and enjoy a cigar," said Puskavich, who opened Leaning House in November 2006. "We must be doing something right, because (patrons) are from all over the area, not just the Mon Valley. They can smoke without offending anyone and enjoy their favorite liquid refreshments. It's the camaraderie, a solid bond among (people) who appreciate cigars."

Sam Smerkol of West Mifflin agreed.

"There are few (cigar) shops in the Pittsburgh area with a lounge that really offers a relaxing atmosphere," said Smerkol, 26, who works for the Federal Reserve in Pittsburgh. "Some places have a couple of bar stools and that's it, nothing like you see here."

The Leaning House features three leather sofas inside and tables and chairs on the patio at the front of the 100-year-old building on State Street in Lower Speers. All were filled on a recent Friday night.

"It doesn't get any better than this," Bezak, 65, said as he settled in on one of the sofas.

Bezak, who retired after 36 years as a lineman and insulation specialist with Bell Atlantic and Verizon, has been a cigar smoker for about five years.

"I guess I'm one of the new kids on the block," he said. "I started with Phillies and King Edward, nothing like they have here."

Glagola, who became a partner in the business earlier this year, said the inventory includes some 450 cigars ranging in price from $1 to $15. Traditional brands familiar to cigar aficionados are complemented by such newer sticks as Tabac Especial, Punch Rare Corojo, Hoyo de Montery, Excaliber Maduro, Ashton Crystal, Rocky Patel, Perdomo and Cao Saprano.

"The prices are much better here," said Matthew Lignelli, 26, of Monongahela. "You might pay $10 for a cigar in the city and the price (at Leaning House) is only $5."

Lignelli, a registered nurse who works at Spartan Health Surgicenter in Carroll Township, also appreciates the "convenience factor" of the Speers site.

"Hey, it takes about 15 or 20 minutes to get here," he said. "I'm saving on gasoline and wear and tear on my car. You know what they say, 'Closer to home.' There's no reason to go anywhere else when you have something this unique in the Mon Valley. I believe in supporting local business, especially something as nice as this."

Patrons must purchase cigars at Leaning House to enjoy the pleasure of smoking there. Because the lounge does not have a liquor license, a BYOB policy exists.

"It's a variety," Puskavich said of the liquor patrons bring to Leaning House. "There's a lot of scotch and brandy, something smooth that complements the taste of a fine cigar. And everyone has a tendency to share whatever they bring."

Sonny Bezak emphasized that point when he arrived with a bottle of crystal clear Polar Ice Vodka.

"Look at the label on the back, it's in French and English," Bezak told Puskavich. "It's great in any language. Make sure everyone gets a taste."

Patrick Garman, administrator of Spartan Health Surgicenter, is a relative newcomer to the region but is no stranger to cigar lounges and bars. He's been smoking cigars for some 18 years.

"The concept began taking off in the early 1990s," Garman said of his initial experience with cigar lounges while living and working in the San Antonio, Texas, area. "We usually met once a month to relax with good cigars, excellent drinks and, most important, nice people. There isn't a better way to sit back and have a friendly conversation."

Garman, 50, of Mt. Lebanon enjoys the "great outdoor setting" on the patio at Leaning House.

"You can see the (Monongahela) river from here, it's very peaceful," Garman said. "Dave and Chris are always stocking new products, so you have the opportunity to try different cigars."

While the cigar lounge concept is only two decades old, the history of the cigar goes back at least 2,000 years, according to the Web site.

"Some scholars believe that the term cigar originated from 'sikar,' which is the Mayan word for smoking," Lifestyle says. "Supposedly the cigar has it origins within Central America, where the Mayans and later the Aztecs used to smoke. These people were identified to have smoked pipes of loosely rolled tobacco leaves resembling the existing cigars."

History notwithstanding, the popularity of cigar lounges and bars has grown by the proverbial "leaps and bounds" throughout the United States and abroad. And, Garman points out, the educational process also includes the "art of cigar smoking."

"It's very important to know the correct way to smoke (cigars)," Garman said. "You just don't stick it in your mouth, light up and start puffing away."

To further enlighten a inquisitive visitor to the Leaning House, Garman said veteran and novice smokers should understand such factors as the maker of the cigars, the type of tobacco used and the "entire process" that goes into producing "a truly good" cigar.

"It's certainly not like cigarettes and pipes," he said. "A cigarette is a cigarette and pipe tobacco, for the most part, is pretty much the same. There's no comparison to the pleasure you get with a cigar."

Garman enhanced his crash course in cigar smoking for the visitor by carefully removing the wrapper from a thick, dark stick about 8 inches long. Using a double-blade guillotine cutter, he nipped about an eighth of an inch of tobacco from the end of the cigar that goes in the mouth.

"You don't want to chop or chew it off, that's a definite no-no," Garman said.

And the cigar is lighted before taking that first puff or draw. After igniting his cigar with a handsome, sterling silver butane table lighter -- no matches or Bics, please -- Garman gently blew on the glowing flame.

"You want to be sure it's burning just right; that ensures the cigar will burn evenly and give you a much better smoke," he said, adding that a good smoke can run an hour and a half.

Like his counterparts in the capacity crowd, Garman suggested that anyone seriously interested in "the tricks of the trade, the ABC's of smoking" should read Cigar Aficionados magazine and similar publications.

"It's like a textbook," he said of Cigar Aficionados. "There's a wealth of information including ratings of cigars."

Sam Smerkol said the Internet is another good source of information.

"There are many (Web) sites devoted to cigars," Smerkol said. "They offer great information and also the opportunity to communicate with other cigar smokers, nationally and internationally, via blogs and chat rooms. I've been in touch with several (smokers) and we even 'trade' cigars in the mail. It's a great way to sample what's out there and perhaps bring new brands to our area."

Chris Glagola, a diesel engineer by profession, and Puskavich strive to keep their patrons up to date on all facets of cigar smoking.

"There are so many new products on a regular basis," Glagola said. "We just received Xikar cutters, six new humidors and new lighters. And we constantly try to expand the variety of cigars -- brands, shapes, sizes and blends. Our patrons are very knowledgeable and they expect the best."

The partners also have expanded the business in several ways since February. Their efforts have given a "totally new look" to a building constructed in 1908 and was once the site of a Clover Farm market.

Puskavich, 49, a native of the Scenery Hill/Bentleyville area who has worked in finance and sales for many years in such metropolitan areas as Denver and Atlanta, returned to the area in 1997. A cigar smoker for 25 years, he "got the itch" to open his own business.

"My wife and I were going to The Back Porch for dinner one night and I saw a 'For Sale' sign on the building," he said. "I just knew I had to buy it. You hear about location, location in real estate, and I thought the proximity to The Back Porch and the Speers Street Grill was ideal. People ask us, 'Why Speers?' and I say, 'Why not?' We have confidence in the Mon Valley and chose to invest in the future of this area."

His foresight proved correct. Many customers of the restaurants and the Riverside Shoppes, which are located only a block away, stop at Leaning House for an after-dinner cigar and drink.

Puskavich sold only a nominal number of cigars when he opened the business in November 2006, focusing primarily on antiques and collectibles. But the tide turned as word spread about the unique establishment that catered to smokers.

"Word of mouth has been our best marketing tool," Puskavich said. "We have a core group of regulars from the Mon Valley and elsewhere. They bring friends and tell other people and the numbers continue to grow. They know they won't be turned away or shunned because they smoke."

Puskavich emphasized that women as well as men are patrons of the Learning House.

"Definitely, there are women who enjoy a good cigar in this setting just as much as the men," he said.

Janine Fedorek of West Newon, a newcomer to Leaning House, is one of them. She's been a cigar smoker since December 2000 and has visited other cigar lounges.

"The atmosphere here is so relaxing, such a comfortable setting," said Fedorek, 34, who works for Medco billing service in North Versailles. "I heard about it from friends and I'll be back. There's a great selection of cigars and you can kick back and enjoy them as well as the people."

In addition to the cigar trade, Puskavich and Glagola continue to showcase such collectibles as sports memorabilia, classic magazines and framed pictures of jazz and blues clubs and entertainers of the 1930s and 1940s in Pittsburgh. Photos of such noted cigar smokers as Winston Churchill, Groucho Marx, Mark Twain, George Burns, Harry Morgan and Dennis Hopper also adorn the walls of the main area of the cigar lounge.

Also available are myriad vinyl long-play record albums from Puskavich's personal collection. They run the gamut from The Ink Spots, Louis Prima and Count Basie to ZZ Top, The Temptations, and David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust.

One album that might best signify the feelings of the owners and patrons of the Leaning Tree was originally released by Pink Floyd in 1975 with "Have A Cigar" as track No. 3. The inviting title is "Wish You Were Here."