The small Version: Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant features offered Spanish and Cuban-inspired meals and drinks that signify a long-standing genealogy. Based by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia continues to be a regional preferred simply because of its conventional foods and personable solution. Through the years, individuals from worldwide attended towards the attractive restaurant to celebrate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, along with other monumental times. These days, the 4th and fifth years of household owns and functions 13 different restaurants throughout Florida. If you’re searching for okay dining with a good antique household feel, possible reserve a table during the spectacular and romantic dinner rooms in the Columbia eatery.
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Over the past thirty years, my loved ones’s favored vacation destination has become an oceanfront lodge in Sand Key, Florida. We have now eliminated here over several times to build sand castles, area whales, and eat tasty dinners on patios ignoring the gulf.
We have completely investigated the city’s restaurant variety, looking around out the most useful regional bones around, nevertheless just thus occurs the one cafe everyone enjoy many is actually within walking range of your resort. The Columbia eatery’s white-linen tablecloths, conscious service, and mouth-watering meals allow it to be the go-to place for lunch.
When we happened to be children, my personal parents would order united states a cheddar pizza while they went to this enchanting Spanish restaurant alone; but we currently enjoy tapas and drink just as much because they carry out, therefore we’ve started crashing their date night â sometimes providing along dates of our own.
Since 1905, the Columbia eatery has actually wowed clients with Spanish and Cuban meals and an old-world ambiance. Although it’s the oldest cafe in Florida, the business enterprise continues to be run from the descendants from the original president. Every item regarding eating plan has a story behind it, and lots of from the quality recipes have been handed over from one generation with the Hernandez Gonzmart family to another location. Family members practice is an enormous a portion of the Columbia’s selection, background, and method to service.
“the employees normally slightly like household,” said Michael Kilgore, the main advertising Officer your Columbia. “Many of our staff members remain for 20 or 3 decades. One of several things we like about the party is actually how long they stay with united states. They arrive right here and discover property.”
You can enjoy this comfy and inviting environment on your own subsequent night out when you go to any one of the Columbia’s seven various restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant currently serves visitors in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater seashore, and Celebration. Whether you’re sipping drink on a picturesque balcony or enjoying flamenco dancers light up the period whilst you take in tapas, you’re certain to have an unforgettable night at Columbia.
In 1905, a Cuban Immigrant Ran a Saloon That Became a Sensation
The Columbia Restaurant can locate its record back once again to Dec. 17, 1903 â similar day the Wright brothers successfully tested the whole world’s first airplane. That was when a Cuban immigrant named Casimiro Hernandez Sr. started working a saloon for a regional brewing business in Tampa’s Ybor City.
In 1905, the industrious business person turned the saloon into a prominent 60-seat cafe known for their genuine Cuban coffee and sandwiches. Following their success, Casimiro ordered a restaurant nearby and converted it into a gorgeous dining area. In 1930, his child got more than ownership and procedure of the thriving bistro.
While in the Great Depression, their child Casimiro Jr. created 1st air-conditioned dining room in Tampa. The guy hoped their trendy look and elevated party floor would draw individuals the bistro that assist all of them forget their unique fears for every night. The Don Quixote place ended up being a hit, and the Columbia could keep its doorways open although additional businesses folded.
In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia on to his only child, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an established musician who had satisfied her husband, Cesar Gonzmart, on Tampa cafe. This theatrical set brought entertainment and artistry to the Columbia, establishing a showroom that managed lots of skilled Latin performers and artists. Under Adela and Cesar’s leadership, the Columbia extended to Sarasota alongside areas in Florida.
Now, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has taken the reins and held his family members’ company heading. Richard Gonzmart has become operating at their family members’ restaurants since he had been 12 yrs . old, thus he or she is closely familiar with its environment and background. Richard may actually point to the table from the Columbia Restaurant in which the guy and his awesome girlfriend had their unique first big date more than 43 years back.
“there are many love right here, and then we have actually a fantastic tale,” said Michael. “significantly less than 15 restaurants in the United States are family-owned and most a century outdated, so we’re in pretty elite business.”
Florida’s earliest restaurant has a proud and enduring background rooted in meals, household, and fun. Michael informed united states the 5th generation of the founding household is becoming groomed to dominate 1 day. Richard’s daughters and nephew took in productive control roles in the restaurants and so are ready to maintain household practice going for numerous years into the future.
The Columbia has been recognized with some from the greatest awards during the bistro business, including induction into Nation’s Restaurant News’ “great eating Hall of popularity,” gained the “notable Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) honor of Excellence,” Florida Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of Fame,” and Wine Spectator’s “good honor of quality.”
Search In! A Delectable Menu of Sharable Tapas & Indulgent Desserts
The Columbia eatery sets a luxurious dining table and a delightful getting away from daily life. It seduces the senses from the moment you walk in the doorways. You’re enclosed by greenery, liquid fountains, and artwork due to the fact noises of fun and the odors of fresh fish and shellfish meals waft through the atmosphere. Before my order also reaches myself, my mouth is always watering with expectation. The good news is, each visitor becomes his / her very own recently produced loaf of Cuban loaves of bread, so I have one thing to please my tastebuds while I wait.
The 14-page eating plan is full of great food and supplies easy conversation beginners for daters simply observing each other. Each entrée, appetizer, and treat is sold with an enticing description in addition to fascinating background details. For instance, the cafe’s coconut ice cream ended up being a preferred of ice cream entrepreneur Gustavo Hernandez, the third son associated with the original Columbia founder, and today this sweet dish is actually served inside the honor.
From the vegetarian paella (Spanish grain mixed with hearty veggies) towards shrimp supreme (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the foodstuffs in the Columbia are bursting with taste. The shareable dishes, called tapas, get this cafe suitable for couples on a date because you will come better with each other by revealing little dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or stuffed peppers. It is simple to make a budget-friendly dinner by buying some of these appetizers with each other â keep in mind to truly save place for dessert!
The Très Amigos churros was an outstanding option for lovers because they’re tactile, nice, and merely a little dirty. Possible drop the piping-hot churros in chocolate, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little for everyone. Positive, Columbia’s trademark light Chocolate Bread Pudding is actually an indulgent treat ideal for splitting with a date who has got a taste for white candy and rum sauce.
In 2017, the Marriott Traveler blog known as the Columbia eatery among St. Augustine’s leading date-night areas, promoting partners to “start out with Columbia’s well-known 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with much panache, immediately after which share a huge plate for the Paella a la Valenciana, overflowing with shellfish, aromatic rice, and chorizo.”
The intimate evening will be-all the greater pleasurable should you decide combine together with your dinner a glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, an abundant drink named after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and partner.
Plus, within Columbia Restaurant, the sangria is perish for. Honestly, it comes down from the cup but you can additionally split a pitcher of white or red-colored sangria with a date to boost the eating knowledge. Nicely huge cuts of fresh fruit drift when you look at the wine and infuse it with rich styles. Whether you’re buying this classic sangria or one of several cafe’s family wines, the high-caliber beverages never let you down.
Michael informed us the group makes an endeavor to offer inexpensive however quality wines to whet visitors’ appetites. “Our wine choice must certanly be perfectly suited to the meal we serve plus selling price,” the guy stated.
Many Couples & households Have Shared Special times Here
When i believe in the Columbia, In my opinion from the night we decided to have treat for lunch, and my personal parents ordered churros, essential lime pie, mango mousse dessert, white candy breads dessert, and five spoons. I think of my personal twin brother trying grouper for the first time on our twentieth birthday celebration and stating excitedly, “Take my personal photo” because the guy wanted to show his girlfriend (that’s now their spouse) he liked eating fish just as much as she did.
In many means, the Columbia feels as though the spot, but my children actually really the only household having produced thoughts at the cafe and its own six sister locations across Fl. Men and women visited the bistro after all stages of life since it provides a special atmosphere that sets really with any function.
Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were frequent guests regarding the Columbia in the early 1950s. The Columbia staff members paid tribute into the couple additionally the enjoying recollections they provided from the restaurant by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” â a sautéed combination of tenderloin recommendations, boneless chicken breast, shrimp, and pork â is actually a tasty note regarding the very long reputation of relationship into the Columbia’s eating spaces.
Whether you are going on a first go out or honoring a wedding anniversary, you will find intimacy and love flourish in the gentle candlelight of this Columbia Restaurant.
“It’s a targets,” Michael mentioned, “having men and women feel as if the Columbia is the perfect place to come calmly to celebrate life’s goals.”
The Columbia Restaurant offers Family Values into Table
The Columbia Restaurant charms daters with authentic meals, divine atmospheres, and personable solution. The computers, at the very least at our very own Columbia in Sand Key, look closely at their particular friends and tend to be quick to state “Welcome back” to faithful clients whom, like my loved ones, are going back to the stylish dining spaces time and time again.
This long-standing dinner institution has expanded and changed throughout the many years, nevertheless has never disregarded its century-long family roots. Richard features bold plans to provide diners and daters throughout Fl from inside the many years to come. “our very own proprietor does not sleep,” Michael stated with fun. “He’s always dreaming right up new things.”
The Columbia staff plans to start at the very least two new restaurants when you look at the upcoming decades. One will be conveniently found appropriate down the street through the initial Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to open up in fall 2018, will probably pay homage to a tiny village in Sicily where most Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants arrived from â the real diet plan will bring these families a delicious reminder of house.
Suffering leadership and top quality flavors improve Columbia Restaurant and all of the sister restaurants really remarkable spots in which singles and lovers can spend a night with those they like greatest.