Hey Everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted...I've become more of a lurker than a poster. I was recently down in New Orleans and wanted to pass along a great place to stop. I stopped by The Cigar Factory on Decatur. I grabbed a cigar and chilled out at a table. I struck up a conversation with the shoe shine working there. His name is Jimmy and is a great guy to talk to....he has had an interesting life and is happy to share it with you. He just started shining at The Cigar Factory last Friday. We talked for about a half hour or so and I asked him if there is a place nearby to grab a cheap Abita. He said he knew one and he would show me. He took me around the block to a small liquor store ran by two Italian brothers who were probably in their eighties. They were swearing and yelling at each other in two languages. I bought Jimmy and I beers and we drank those and than he bought us a few more. Then we went back to the cigar shop and I figured I should probably get a shoe shine. My shoes looked better than when I bought them and he fixed them up good. I left shortly thereafter after spending two hours with Jimmy. It was a great afternoon and just wanted to share. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, I highly suggest stopping down for a good cigar and a shoe shine. You can tell him Kevin the scientist sent you....not sure if he'll remember me, but who knows.

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Thanks for sharing Kevin. :-) :-)
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I am glad that New Orleans HAS such a place, but I am not a customer. I knew a guy in Meridian, MS that used to
stay stocked with their products by ordering them by phone. He raved about them, but by that time I was a CC ho,
and they never appealed to me. But NO is a city that needs such a place, helps separate the regular tourists from the
cigar-smoking cogniscenti. Glad you enjoyed my hometown. :-) Holee crap, you topped this one from the crypt, Mac.
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Very awesome! :-)
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Very cool :-) New Orleans is on my list of places i would like to visit.
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And the black guy shines the white man shoes......
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sounds like a great day
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:-) :-)

Great story, thanks for sharing, Kevin. Sounds like you made a great connection, it's all about the human interaction. Makes me miss New Orleans, loved the time I lived there. Awesome people, very colorful city
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It's sad that you still see the color of a person's skin before you see the person.
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Great little story, sometimes we take such experiences for granted or we don't give another person enough opportunity to impact our day. Well done scientist!
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Thanks for posting that story, I have spent many a day in that city. Love the culture, food, drink and cigars.
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Looks like a great time. Glad that you two got a chance to hang and bond. Seems like people are too busy these days for such idyllic encounters.
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I need to get back to NO
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Me too. Awesome place
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I've loved New Orleans since I was a child. Cigar factory is definitely a great visit when in New Orleans.

Did anyone on the street hit you with the ole' "I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes" bit? It's hilarious.
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I'd say its the other way around, I noticed the person and then the color of their skin. I just noticed it was a black guy shining shoes, that's all. I was expecting a white man shining shoes when I read the thread title. I meant no disrespect to the gentlemen.

It sounds like you had an amazing time OP, and its very cool to be able to have an experience like that with a person :-)
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I'm glad to hear that it's the other way around :-) .
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I love the Cigar Factory and highly recommend it to anyone visiting NO. I get down there every few years for business conventions.

Dave
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