For the fellas
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- May
- 28
There’s a store in Mamaroneck that was definitely designed with the guys in mind.
Think stogies, bogeys and the like.
And while it’s not the kind of place the ladies would while away an afternoon, Doc James Cigars & Golf makes for good hunting ground for Father’s Day gifts.
I stopped by this afternoon — it’s going to be my “Shop of the Week” next week — and got a good feel for the place.
Just wanted to share a bit of a tour with you.
The store opened back in November, though it’s just holding its Grand Opening next month.
It’s tucked into a block of East Boston Post Road just around the corner from Mamaroneck Avenue, pretty close to Harbor Island park.


I met with owner Josh DeSiena, who says the specialty shop is indeed a “destination business.”
DeSiena, who grew up in Yorktown, was looking for a career change — he was a longtime PGA club pro in the region looking for something new.
And it’s pretty clear he’s found it:

For the change, he had looked to his brother, Adam, who had long operated Doc James Cigars & Golf in Shrub Oak (3703 Old Yorktown Road; 914-962-9388).
Josh DeSiena decided to create a lower Westchester store to mirror what his brother had been doing for 14 years.
“I spent a lot of time there,” he says. He worked for his brother over the years, and it was always just part of the family.
The heart of the Mamaroneck shop is the walk-in humidor, a custom-built space surrounded by Spanish cedar and filled with cedar shelves. The temperature stands around 68 degrees; the humidity is about 70 percent.
“This is it — This is what it’s all about,” DeSiena says, as we go in.

And once in there, I got a little lesson on cigar appreciation, which DeSiena explained can be compared, in a way, to wine and wine enthusiasts.
DeSiena’s pride is the Davidoff line of cigars, a premium product he calls “the best of the best… this is top-shelf, like Kobe beef.”
He and his brother, he says, are the only two dealers in the area for the company.

DeSiena gave me a quick rundown on the kinds he carries — and how to buy for someone.
Most cigars, he says, fall into the categories of medium, mild or full-bodied. Like a wine, different cigars also have distinctive flavors, from nutty to chocolate to spicy. Most these days come from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador, he added.
It’s how they cultivate their crops and make their cigars that gives each brand its distinctive look, flavor and appeal.
There’s also a special cigar on hand — the DeSiena, made for the two Doc James shops by the Rocky Patel company (one of the store’s best-selling brands).


The shop is also filled with gift ideas, from cigar cutters to lighters — the gadgets, as DeSiena says. There are all kinds of gift sets, too.


“There’s always an ongoing education about this, and I think that’s one of the things that draws me to this,” DeSiena says.
It’s like, he said, a golf swing.
“You can always learn.”
And speaking of golf, the shop is also a destination for the golf fan.
“I’d have to say 75 percent of my clientele here play golf,” DeSiena says.
There are shirts and caps, golf clubs and other accessories.



And don’t these vintage photographs of Ben Hogan playing at Winged Foot add an elegant touch?

A lot of the customers, DeSiena says, also take advantage of the smoking lounge. It’s got flat-screen televisions, WiFi, leather chairs and is just a real “clubby” place to kick back. He adds that it’s become the place for informal networking — or just reading the newspaper.

So if you’re looking for Father’s Day gift ideas or to just hang out for a bit — stop by Doc James Cigars & Golf at 154 E. Boston Post Road. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
You might want to keep in mind that the Grand Opening party — from 1 to 5 p.m. June 8 — is open to everyone and will feature the DeSiena cigars.
For more details, visit the store’s Web site or call 914-630-7333.










