The small variation: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery features served Spanish and Cuban-inspired dishes and beverages that represent a long-standing genealogy. Established by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia continues to be a local preferred because of its conventional foods and personable service. Throughout the years, folks from all over the globe attended for the attractive bistro to commemorate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, alongside monumental times. Now, the last and 5th generations for the family members possesses and runs 13 various restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re looking for fine eating with a decent old-fashioned household experience, possible reserve a table into the stunning and enchanting food areas associated with Columbia Restaurant.
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For the past three decades, my loved ones’s favored holiday destination has-been an oceanfront resort in Sand Key, Florida. We’ve gone indeed there over twelve occasions to create sand castles, spot whales, and consume delicious dishes on patios overlooking the gulf coast of florida.
There is thoroughly explored the city’s bistro variety, looking around out the greatest regional joints about, however it merely thus takes place that one cafe most of us enjoy a lot of is within taking walks distance of one’s lodge. The Columbia Restaurant’s white linen tablecloths, attentive service, and mouth-watering meals make it the go-to place for dinner.
Once we were young ones, my parents would get all of us a cheddar pizza as they checked out this romantic Spanish cafe by yourself; however, we currently enjoy tapas and drink as much while they would, so we’ve started crashing their particular date night â sometimes delivering along times in our own.
Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has wowed patrons with Spanish and Cuban meals and an old-world atmosphere. Although it’s the oldest bistro in Florida, the business enterprise continues to be operated by descendants in the original founder. Every item regarding the menu has a story behind it, and lots of associated with the meals currently handed over from one generation associated with Hernandez Gonzmart family to a higher. Family tradition is a huge the main Columbia’s eating plan, history, and method of solution.
“The staff can a bit like family,” mentioned Michael Kilgore, the main promotional Officer for any Columbia. “a number of our staff stay for 20 or 30 years. Among the situations we love about all of our team is how much time they stay with all of us. They come right here and find a house.”
You can enjoy this comfy and inviting atmosphere on your own next night out when you go to any one of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant presently serves guests in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater seashore, and Celebration. Whether you’re sipping wine on a picturesque balcony or enjoying flamenco performers light the period although you consume tapas, you are sure to have a memorable night in the Columbia.
In 1905, a Cuban Immigrant Ran a Saloon That Became a Sensation
The Columbia eatery can locate the background to Dec. 17, 1903 â alike day the Wright brothers effectively tested the world’s basic plane. That has been when a Cuban immigrant called Casimiro Hernandez Sr. started operating a saloon for a nearby making company in Tampa’s Ybor City.
In 1905, the industrious business person turned the saloon into a prominent 60-seat cafe recognized for their authentic Cuban coffee and snacks. Soon after his success, Casimiro bought a cafe or restaurant across the street and converted it into an attractive dining area. In 1930, his child got over control and operation for the thriving cafe.
Throughout Great Depression, his child Casimiro Jr. created the very first air-conditioned living area in Tampa. The guy hoped their trendy look and raised party flooring would draw people to the restaurant that assist them forget about their unique concerns for per night. The Don Quixote area ended up being popular, and Columbia surely could hold its doorways available although different businesses collapsed.
In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia onto his just son or daughter, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an experienced artist that has met the woman partner, Cesar Gonzmart, on Tampa restaurant. This theatrical set introduced entertainment and art with the Columbia, establishing a showroom that hosted many skilled Latin performers and musicians. Under Adela and Cesar’s authority, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota also areas in Fl.
Nowadays, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has taken the reins and kept their family members’ company going. Richard Gonzmart is working at their family’s restaurants since he had been 12 years of age, thus they are closely acquainted its atmosphere and history. Richard can in fact point to the table on Columbia eatery in which he and his awesome wife had their particular basic date a lot more than 43 years ago.
“There’s a lot of relationship here, and we have actually the tale,” said Michael. “under 15 restaurants in america are family-owned and more than 100 years old, so we’re in pretty elite organization.”
Fl’s oldest restaurant has a happy and enduring history rooted in meals, household, and fun. Michael informed united states the 5th generation of founding family is now being groomed to take over one-day. Richard’s daughters and nephew have chosen to take on effective administration parts at restaurants and tend to be prepared maintain family members tradition going for many more years to come.
The Columbia is known which includes associated with the greatest prizes into the bistro business, including induction into Nation’s Restaurant Information’ “good food Hall of Fame,” attained the “Distinguished Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) honor of Excellence,” Florida Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of Fame,” and Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of quality.”
Look In! A Delectable Menu of Sharable Tapas & Indulgent Desserts
The Columbia Restaurant establishes a luxurious table and an enjoyable getting away from everyday life. It seduces your senses from the moment you walk in the doorways. You’re enclosed by greenery, water fountains, and artwork due to the fact noise of fun together with odors of new fish dishes waft through the environment. Before my personal purchase actually reaches me, my throat is definitely watering with anticipation. The good news is, each visitor gets his or her very own freshly generated loaf of Cuban loaves of bread, and so I have actually something you should fulfill my preferences while we wait.
The 14-page diet plan is full of good meals but additionally provides simple talk starters for daters only learning the other person. Each entrée, appetizer, and dessert has an enticing explanation including interesting back ground info. For instance, the cafe’s coconut ice-cream was a well liked of frozen dessert entrepreneur Gustavo Hernandez, the 3rd boy associated with initial Columbia president, and after this this sweet dish is actually supported in the respect.
From vegetarian paella (Spanish grain blended with hearty greens) on shrimp great (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the foods in the Columbia tend to be bursting with taste. The shareable plates, also known as tapas, get this to bistro well suited for lovers on a night out together because you will come closer together by revealing tiny dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or packed peppers. To make a budget-friendly food by purchasing various of those appetizers with each other â just remember to truly save room for treat!
The Très Amigos churros could be an excellent option for lovers because they’re tactile, sweet, and just a little dirty. You’ll be able to drop the piping-hot churros in chocolate, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little for everybody. Plus, Columbia’s signature light Chocolate Bread Pudding is actually an indulgent dessert excellent for splitting with a romantic date that has a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.
In 2017, the Marriott Traveler web log known as the Columbia eatery among St. Augustine’s leading date-night areas, motivating partners to “start out with Columbia’s popular 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, immediately after which share a massive platter of this Paella a la Valenciana, overflowing with shellfish, aromatic grain, and chorizo.”
Your own romantic evening will be-all more pleasurable any time you pair together with your dinner one glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, a refreshing wine named after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school sweetheart and girlfriend.
Plus, on Columbia Restaurant, the sangria will be perish for. Severely, referring from the cup but you can also split a pitcher of white or red-colored sangria with a night out together to improve your food experience. Nicely big cuts of good fresh fruit drift into the drink and infuse it with rich types. Whether you’re buying this traditional sangria or one of the restaurant’s family members wines, the high-caliber products usually do not let you down.
Michael informed united states the team makes an endeavor to supply affordable but high quality wines to whet friends’ appetites. “our very own drink selection should be perfectly designed for the foodstuff we offer and your selling price,” the guy said.
Many partners & Families have actually Shared particular times Here
When I think of the Columbia, i believe of the evening we made a decision to have treat for dinner, and my parents bought churros, essential lime pie, mango mousse cake, white chocolate breads dessert, and five spoons. I do believe of my personal twin brother trying grouper the very first time on our very own 20th birthday and saying excitedly, “get my photo” because the guy desired to show their gf (that’s now their wife) he enjoyed eating fish whenever she did.
In so many ways, the Columbia feels as though our very own destination, but my children isn’t really the actual only real family to own produced memories at this restaurant and its particular six sister locations across Fl. Folks reach the cafe after all stages of existence since it supplies a particular environment that pairs really with any party.
Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had been frequent visitors of the Columbia in the early 1950s. The Columbia staff members settled tribute into pair as well as the warm recollections they contributed during the restaurant by naming a dish after them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” â a sautéed blend of tenderloin recommendations, boneless chicken, shrimp, and chicken â is a tasty indication for the lengthy reputation for love for the Columbia’s eating areas.
Whether you’re going on a first time or celebrating a marriage anniversary, you’ll find closeness and passion achieve the soft candlelight on the Columbia Restaurant.
“It really is a objectives,” Michael said, “to possess folks feel as if the Columbia is the perfect place to come calmly to commemorate existence’s milestones.”
The Columbia eatery offers group standards with the Table
The Columbia eatery charms daters with real meals, divine atmospheres, and personable solution. The machines, at the least at our Columbia in Sand Key, look closely at their own guests and tend to be fast to state “Welcome right back” to faithful consumers who, like my loved ones, end up returning to the stylish dining spaces over and over repeatedly.
This long-standing dining business features expanded and changed for the years, however it has not disregarded the century-long family roots. Richard features committed plans to serve diners and daters throughout Florida inside the years to come. “Our manager doesn’t rest,” Michael said with fun. “he is constantly thinking up something new.”
The Columbia group intends to open about two brand new restaurants inside the following years. One will be easily situated correct down the street from initial Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to open in autumn 2018, will probably pay homage to a small town in Sicily where a lot of Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants arrived from â the authentic menu will deliver these individuals a delicious indication of house.
Enduring management and quality styles result in the Columbia eatery and all sorts of their brother restaurants truly impressive spots in which singles and partners can spend an evening with those they like finest.