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Inauspiciously located next door to a medical-diagnostic center, Renaissance Cigar Emporium still manages to conjure up a luxurious, worry-free vibe: Its warm, red walls, tiled floor, and marble entrance stairs exude the charm and good taste of an old hotel lobby. A older-skewing crowd of classy smokers—some sporting sharp fedoras—plops down in elegantly crafted, padded wooden chairs and comfortable brown-leather sofas and settees, sparking up stogies and conversations; flat-screens, magazines, and chessboards encourage extended visits. There more than 100 blends of cigars to choose from in the walk-in humidor, including the delicate house blend, hand-rolled at Renaissance. There is no booze on the premises, but a genial BYOB policy lets you bring your own bottle of wine or liquor for a small corkage fee. — John Wheeler-Rappe