Diana Silvius started Up Down Tobacco 42 years ago. "Ashton, Davidoff, Camacho...I know all the people that own these companies [and] who's been in the family for four generations," says Silvius. Walk inside and appreciate the intriguing aromas of pipe tobacco and cigars wafting through your nostrils among masterful cabinetry. Admire the architectural sculpture made from pounded and welded aluminum to emulate flames (it took two years to create). You can buy the sought-after Opus X and Pedron, or rely on the encyclopedic knowledge of the employees for suggestions. If you want to experiment but are new to cigars, the staff will draw you out. Silvius says she might ask "what size do you want, a skinny or great big one?"

Up Down Tobacco hosts parties in the rear smoking garden, like the previous Merschaum pipe trunk sale. Merschaum pipes, fragile but beautiful carved pipes, turn an amber color over time and don’t have to be broken in.

Centerstage Reviewer: Chris Benevich