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| photography by Dan Sellers |
If diners needed another reason to frequent Javier’s Restaurant besides the unbelievable food, they got one when owner Javier Gutierrez turned an unused attached room into a sexy, smoky, cigar bar just over a decade ago. Though he was sure his customers would love it, the reason for the addition wasn’t entirely selfless—Gutierrez has smoked CIGARS since he discovered Swisher Sweets during his days at Schreiner military school. Having grown up around them (his cousin owned Te Amo Cigar Company), he developed a love for the relaxing effects and sweet taste of tobacco early on. “My father was a doctor and he didn’t think it was a great idea,” he says. “But what the heck, we don’t always follow our parents’ advice.” Now whenever he wants a smoke, Gutierrez can select one from the 30 brands available in his restaurant’s massive 1,400-capacity humidor. After 29 years of dishing out the city’s best authentic Continental Mexico City cuisine, the man behind this Dallas dining staple has a feel for what works. So what’s the best way to enjoy a good cigar? “With friends and conversation,” he says. “And a Graham’s ’77.”
