B&M recommendations in Chicago?

[echie]

I'll be in Chicago for Christmas, and of course I'll try to sneak a visit to a tobacconist in. I searched the forum, but all I get are references to the pipe show :P
So, any must-visit tobacconists in Chicago?
Thanks!

 

[mihailo]

I think most can agree that Iwan Ries is one to visit (less than a 5 min walk from Millennium park).

 

[ophiuchus]

Iwan Ries is the one to visit if you're into pipes. ::

 

[weedsnager]

Yep...Iwan Ries......parking will be fun in that area around Christmas

 

[michaelmirza]

Iwan Ries is the only place you NEED to visit. It's the oldest tobacco shop in the country that's still operating; owned by the same family since 1857. Their selection of tinned tobacco and pipes is fantastic. If you are traveling by car, park on the street somewhere near a Brown line station on the north side of the city (outside downtown) and take the train to Adams/Wabash on the Brown line. Parking on the street in the surrounding neighborhoods of the city is easy if you know how to read the signs on each street. Parking near Iwan Ries is only easy if you're OK with spending a fortune (you'll spend more on a garage downtown than you would on multiple tins of good tobacco).
If you're in the suburbs of Chicago and not in the city proper, 8 To 8 in Villa Park is solid; it' where our Chicago Pipe Club (which plans the show) has its meetings. You could also try Humidor in Westmont and Cigar King in Skokie.

 

[echie]

Iwan Ries, of course! :D
Thank you all, in particular Michael for such a detailed description ::

 

[jpmcwjr]

Don't forget your warmest gear! Chicago can get well below 0º with the wind-chill factor.
And Iwan Ries is a treat. Trois étoiles! Worth a detour.

 

[mso489]

As you see, Iwan Ries is about it. In days of yore, there were more. Even my little town adjacent to the city limits, Park Ridge, had a small but fairly elaborate Park Ridge Pipe Shop with (if I remember) a resident carver, high end pipes, house blends, and an ardent and omnipresent clientele some of whom almost lived there. Gone with the wind. If it were open today, it would be worth a railroad commute to visit.