My Favorite Cigar
Emeril Lagasse • Chef and Television Personality
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
Emeril Lagasse still slams the garlic into the pot, though more gently and without his trademark “BAM!” Sixteen years after he finished “kicking it up a notch” on the Food Network—and with many TV shows in between—a calmer Emeril is back to his roots preparing the dishes of his beloved New Orleans for special guests on Roku’s “Emeril Cooks” with a more culinary focus : “It’s all about building layers of flavor.”
Emeril, 63, still enjoys cigars though he remains busy with a second show on Roku, his eight restaurants, as culinary director for a major cruise line and his charitable foundation. His current favorite smoke is the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story, a cigar he calls “elegant.”
“It’s smooth, toasty and full of nutty, creamy flavors,” Emeril shared. “Although it’s a small cigar, it burns for a good 45 minutes.”
In 2016, while shooting in Cuba, Emeril “smoked the hell out of” Montecristo No. 2’s. “Definitely one of my favorites to kick it up a notch with. Paired with an Old Fashioned, it’s perfectly smooth and a bit spicy.” Emeril’s favorite food before a cigar? “You can’t go wrong with a perfectly seasoned, medium-rare ribeye.”
