An impressive smoke over great coffee; smells like Sir Elliot's Tobacco & Coffee. Sir Elliot's operates three smokeshops, all in the Dallas area. I visited the location at Preston Road and Frankford Road, where an upscale tobacco store has been merged with a serene coffeehouse.

The comfortingly traditional atmosphere is classy without being snooty. Upon entering, the smoker is greeted by a row of jars filled with pipe tobacco, rich colors of wood and small, pristine tables. Light up in many smokeshops and the clerk freaks out. How perverse. At this joint, proper ashtrays and a hint of cigar smoke offer a warm welcome. The attentive clerk is always personable and professional.

My first order of business was to ogle the insanely expensive pipes held in an elegant display case. If you're in the market for a Savanelli or an ornate meerschaum, come take a look. Most of us will not find the right pipe at this shop. Seemingly as an afterthought, a wall display of inexpensive pipes hangs along side the high-roller section. Most of these are smooth Italian pieces with substandard vulcanite stems, ranging in price from $20 to $35.

Rather than taking a Missouri Meerschaum yet again, I rolled the dice on a ruggedly seductive $20 Chzechoslovakian briar. Sounds dubious, but the christening smoke showed real potential.

Bulk pipe tobacco, on the other hand, is the shop's strength. The hallmark of Sir Elliot's is practical, high-quality blends. These are not silly blends of leaves that have been violated by berry, jalapeno and gagging dessert flavorings. You will find elegant aromatics, traditional blends with an eclectic touch and rich burleys among the 29 blends sold. Then again, English is not offered and I find that too many of their blends contain black Cavendish. Two ounces will set you back $5.50 with sales tax.

For this visit, I selected Mark Twain. This ribbon-cut joy is predominantly burley and black Cavendish. The smoke-lover's namesake burns evenly and steadily. It yields a round flavor with touches of mocha and fruit that stop short of overshadowing the natural tobacco flavors.

The coffee is self-serve. A large cup which includes one free refill is $1. I sampled Highlander Grogg. I'm not often thrilled with flavored coffees, but this one surprised me. Top-quality beans had been sublimely flavored with rich maple and a bold kick of rum. I loaded my quarter bent and lit up to find that Highlander Grogg also paired intriguingly with Mark Twain. Numerous coffees, produced by Sir Elliot's, are sold in bulk as well as by the cup.

There is, of course, a respectable walk-in humidor. The cigar prices are decent, but not the best in North Dallas. Breathtaking humidors are displayed such that they are a wonderful part of the atmosphere. There are high-end lighters, but no Zippos. I was impressed with the above average assortment of pipe accessories.

Sir Elliot's is a great place for the smoking enthusiast and a must-visit for the pipe smoker. Starbucks: eat my ashes.