The brief Version: Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has actually served Spanish and Cuban-inspired dishes and products that express a long-standing genealogy. Started by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia stays a regional favored due to its old-fashioned foods and personable solution. Through the years, individuals from all around the globe have come with the glamorous bistro to celebrate involvements, anniversaries, birthdays, along with other monumental times. Nowadays, the next and fifth generations associated with family members possesses and works 13 different restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re looking for good dinner with a good conventional family experience, you can easily reserve a table in spectacular and intimate eating spaces from the Columbia eatery.
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Over the past three decades, my loved ones’s favorite holiday destination has been an oceanfront lodge in Sand Key, Fl. We’ve eliminated here over a dozen occasions to build mud castles, area dolphins, and eat tasty dishes on patios overlooking the gulf coast of florida.
We now have carefully discovered the city’s restaurant choice, searching from best regional bones about, nonetheless it merely so occurs the one cafe we-all enjoy many is within taking walks length of your lodge. The Columbia eatery’s white linen tablecloths, mindful service, and mouth-watering food succeed our go-to area for lunch.
Once we happened to be kids, my parents would order us a cheddar pizza while they went to this enchanting Spanish bistro by yourself; however, we now enjoy tapas and wine equally as much while they perform, so we’ve begun crashing their night out â often taking along times in our own.
Since 1905, the Columbia eatery has actually wowed clients with Spanish and Cuban meals and an old-world ambiance. Though it’s the oldest cafe in Fl, the organization still is operated of the descendants of original founder. Every object from the eating plan has actually an account behind it, and lots of with the quality recipes have now been transmitted from one generation of the Hernandez Gonzmart household to another. Family practice is an enormous the main Columbia’s menu, record, and way of service.
« the employees can slightly like household, » mentioned Michael Kilgore, the main promotional Officer the Columbia. « Many of our staff stay for 20 or 3 decades. One of several things we love about our very own group is just how long they stay with all of us. They show up right here and find a property. »
You can enjoy this comfy and pleasant environment on your then date night by going to any one of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia eatery presently serves friends in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and party. Whether you are drinking wine on a picturesque balcony or seeing flamenco dancers illuminate the phase even though you consume tapas, you are sure to have a remarkable night on Columbia.
In 1905, a Cuban Immigrant Ran a Saloon That Became a Sensation
The Columbia Restaurant can track its record back to Dec. 17, 1903 â equivalent time the Wright brothers effectively tried society’s very first aircraft. That has been when a Cuban immigrant named Casimiro Hernandez Sr. began operating a saloon for an area brewing business in Tampa’s Ybor City.
In 1905, the industrious entrepreneur switched the saloon into a popular 60-seat cafe known for the genuine Cuban coffee and sandwiches. After his success, Casimiro purchased a cafe or restaurant next-door and switched it into a striking living area. In 1930, his son got more than possession and procedure from the flourishing restaurant.
During Great Depression, their son Casimiro Jr. built the initial air-conditioned living area in Tampa. He hoped their trendy look and raised party floor would draw individuals the bistro which help all of them forget about their unique fears for a night. The Don Quixote place ended up being a hit, as well as the Columbia could keep its doorways available although different organizations collapsed.
In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia to his sole kid, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an experienced musician that has met her husband, Cesar Gonzmart, from the Tampa bistro. This theatrical set brought activity and artistry toward Columbia, creating a showroom that hosted a lot of talented Latin dancers and musicians. Under Adela and Cesar’s authority, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota alongside locations in Florida.
These days, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has taken the reins and kept his family members’ business heading. Richard Gonzmart is working at his family’s restaurants since he had been 12 years old, very they are intimately acquainted with its environment and background. Richard can in fact point to the table within Columbia eatery in which the guy and his awesome spouse had their particular basic day more than 43 years ago.
« there are plenty of love here, and then we have a good tale, » mentioned Michael. « Less than 15 restaurants in the United States are family-owned and more than a century old, so we’re in pretty elite company. »
Florida’s oldest cafe provides a pleased and enduring record grounded on meals, family members, and enjoyable. Michael informed united states the fifth generation regarding the founding family members is currently becoming groomed to take control of 1 day. Richard’s daughters and nephew have taken on active management functions within restaurants as they are willing to maintain family tradition going for more years into the future.
The Columbia happens to be known with a few for the highest awards from inside the cafe market, such as induction into country’s eatery Information’ « good food Hall of Fame, » earned the « notable Restaurants of the united states (SiRoNA) Award of quality, » Fl Trend’s « Golden Spoon Hall of Fame, » and Wine Spectator’s « Best of Award of quality. »
Enjoy In! A Delectable Menu of Sharable Tapas & Indulgent Desserts
The Columbia eatery sets a lavish dining table and an enjoyable getting away from everyday activity. It seduces your own sensory faculties from the moment you walk-in the doors. You are in the middle of greenery, h2o fountains, and artwork given that sounds of fun as well as the scents of new fish and shellfish meals waft through the air. Before my personal order even gets to myself, my personal mouth is always watering with expectation. Thank goodness, each guest gets his/her own recently made loaf of Cuban loaves of bread, therefore I have something you should satisfy my personal preferences while we wait.
The 14-page diet plan is filled with good food additionally provides easy conversation beginners for daters only learning one another. Each entrée, appetizer, and treat boasts an enticing description and fascinating back ground information. As an instance, the bistro’s coconut frozen dessert was actually a popular of ice-cream business person Gustavo Hernandez, the 3rd son regarding the original Columbia president, now this nice dish is served in the respect.
From the vegetarian paella (Spanish rice blended with satisfying veggies) into the shrimp supreme (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the foods during the Columbia tend to be bursting with flavor. The shareable dishes, also known as tapas, get this cafe perfect for couples on a date as you will come closer with each other by discussing small dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or stuffed peppers. To make a budget-friendly meal by ordering multiple of those appetizers with each other â just remember to truly save space for treat!
The Très Amigos churros will be a great choice for couples because they’re tactile, nice, and merely only a little dirty. You are able to drop the piping-hot churros in chocolate, caramel, or guava sauce so there’s a little for everybody. Additionally, Columbia’s trademark White Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent treat perfect for splitting with a date who has got a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.
In 2017, the Marriott Traveler blog named the Columbia Restaurant among St. Augustine’s leading date-night areas, encouraging lovers to « start off with Columbia’s well-known 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, and then share a huge plate from the Paella a la Valenciana, full of shellfish, fragrant grain, and chorizo. »
Your own romantic evening will be all more satisfying should you decide pair with your meal a glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, a refreshing drink called after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and spouse.
Plus, at Columbia eatery, the sangria would be to perish for. Honestly, referring because of the glass you could also divide a pitcher of white or red sangria with a romantic date to improve your food knowledge. Generously huge cuts of fruit float from inside the wine and infuse it with wealthy styles. Whether you are purchasing this classic sangria or one of several cafe’s family members wines, the high-caliber drinks don’t let you down.
Michael informed you the group can make an effort to provide inexpensive but top quality wines to whet guests’ appetites. « the wine variety must completely suited for the foodstuff we serve along with your price point, » he said.
Many Couples & households Have Shared particular Moments Here
When i believe on the Columbia, i believe regarding the night we decided to have dessert for lunch, and my parents purchased churros, important lime pie, mango mousse cake, white candy loaves of bread dessert, and five spoons. In my opinion of my personal twin-brother trying grouper for the first time on our very own 20th birthday and claiming excitedly, « get my personal image » because the guy planned to reveal his girlfriend (who’s now his wife) he liked taking fish around she performed.
In countless steps, the Columbia feels like our very own destination, but my children is not truly the only family for produced recollections during this bistro and its particular six sister locations across Florida. Folks come to the cafe whatsoever stages of existence because it provides an unique environment that sets really with any celebration.
Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio happened to be constant visitors in the Columbia during the early 1950s. The Columbia personnel paid tribute to your pair additionally the enjoying memories they shared during the bistro by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe « Salteado » â a sautéed mixture of tenderloin tips, boneless chicken white meat, shrimp, and chicken â is actually a tasty note associated with the extended reputation of romance in Columbia’s eating areas.
Whether you’re taking place a primary time or honoring a wedding anniversary, you will find closeness and passion achieve the comfortable candlelight on the Columbia eatery.
« its a objectives, » Michael mentioned, « to have men and women feel as if the Columbia is the place to come calmly to commemorate existence’s goals. »
The Columbia Restaurant has household standards toward Table
The Columbia eatery charms daters with authentic dishes, divine atmospheres, and personable service. The hosts, at the least at the Columbia in Sand Key, look closely at their visitors and they are fast to say « Welcome right back » to loyal consumers just who, like my family, are time for the stylish dining spaces over and over again.
This long-standing eating organization features grown and altered through the many years, nonetheless it hasn’t ever disregarded its century-long family roots. Richard provides committed intends to provide diners and daters throughout Fl during the many years to come. « Our holder does not sleep, » Michael mentioned with fun. « he is constantly thinking right up something new. »
The Columbia group intends to open up at the very least two brand-new restaurants into the upcoming years. One will end up being conveniently found correct down the street through the original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set-to open in autumn 2018, will pay homage to a small community in Sicily in which most Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants emerged from â the authentic selection will deliver these individuals a tasty reminder of residence.
Suffering authority and high quality flavors make the Columbia eatery and all sorts of the sis restaurants genuinely great locations where singles and couples can invest a night together with those they like best.
