The small type: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery provides offered Spanish and Cuban-inspired dishes and drinks that signify a long-standing genealogy. Created by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia remains an area favored due to the traditional foods and friendly service. Over time, folks from worldwide attended into glamorous cafe to commemorate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, and other monumental minutes. These days, the 4th and fifth years associated with the household owns and operates 13 different restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re looking for okay dinner with a decent conventional household feel, it is possible to reserve a table inside spectacular and enchanting dinner spaces of the Columbia Restaurant.
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Over the past three decades, my children’s favorite holiday destination was an oceanfront hotel in Sand Key, Fl. We have eliminated indeed there over 12 times to create sand castles, area dolphins, and eat tasty dishes on patios ignoring the gulf coast of florida.
There is thoroughly explored the town’s cafe variety, searching from the greatest neighborhood bones around, nonetheless it merely thus happens that one cafe we-all enjoy most is actually within walking range of your resort. The Columbia eatery’s white linen tablecloths, attentive solution, and mouth-watering food ensure it is our go-to spot for supper.
Whenever we happened to be young ones, my moms and dads would get you a cheddar pizza pie even though they went to this intimate Spanish bistro by yourself; however, we now enjoy tapas and drink as much while they perform, therefore we’ve started crashing their own date night â often providing along dates of our own own.
Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant features wowed clients with Spanish and Cuban dishes and an old-world atmosphere. Even though it’s the oldest restaurant in Florida, the company remains run of the descendants on the original creator. Every product regarding the selection provides a tale behind it, and many associated with meals have been transmitted from one generation regarding the Hernandez Gonzmart household to another location. Family members tradition is a huge an element of the Columbia’s selection, record, and approach to solution.
“the employees is also a bit like family,” stated Michael Kilgore, the main Marketing Officer for Columbia. “quite a few workers remain for 20 or 30 years. One of the things we like about all of our party is just how long they stick to you. They are available here and find a house.”
You may enjoy this comfortable and welcoming atmosphere on the next date night by going to any of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia eatery presently serves friends in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and Celebration. Whether you are sipping wine on a picturesque balcony or seeing flamenco dancers light the period as you take in tapas, you are guaranteed to have a memorable night during the Columbia.
In 1905, a Cuban Immigrant went a Saloon That Became a Sensation
The Columbia Restaurant can track its history back again to Dec. 17, 1903 â exactly the same time the Wright brothers effectively tried worldwide’s first plane. Which was whenever a Cuban immigrant named Casimiro Hernandez Sr. began working a saloon for an area making organization in Tampa’s Ybor City.
In 1905, the industrious business owner switched the saloon into a popular 60-seat cafe noted for the genuine Cuban coffee and snacks. After their success, Casimiro purchased a cafe or restaurant nearby and converted it into a striking dining room. In 1930, his son took more than possession and procedure on the thriving cafe.
While in the Great Depression, his daughter Casimiro Jr. built 1st air-conditioned kitchen in Tampa. The guy hoped the asian hook upscale appearance and raised dancing flooring would draw individuals the bistro that assist them forget their concerns for every night. The Don Quixote Room ended up being popular, plus the Columbia could hold its doors open although different businesses folded.
In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia onto their just youngster, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an experienced artist that has came across the woman partner, Cesar Gonzmart, on Tampa cafe. This theatrical pair introduced entertainment and art for the Columbia, developing a showroom that hosted lots of talented Latin dancers and artists. Under Adela and Cesar’s management, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota and various other locations in Fl.
Now, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has had the reins and held their family’s business going. Richard Gonzmart might operating at his family’s restaurants since he was 12 years old, very he’s intimately acquainted with its environment and history. Richard can point to the dining table on Columbia Restaurant in which the guy and his awesome partner had their particular basic go out a lot more than 43 in years past.
“there are plenty of love right here, therefore have actually a good tale,” stated Michael. “lower than 15 restaurants in the United States tend to be family-owned and more than a century old, therefore we’re in pretty elite business.”
Florida’s oldest bistro features a pleased and enduring background rooted in food, family, and fun. Michael informed united states the 5th generation associated with founding household is becoming groomed to take control of one day. Richard’s daughters and nephew took on productive administration roles during the restaurants and tend to be willing to keep carefully the household tradition going for many more many years to come.
The Columbia is acknowledged with many of highest honours into the cafe business, such as induction into Nation’s Restaurant News’ “great dinner Hall of Fame,” obtained the “notable Restaurants of united states (SiRoNA) honor of quality,” Florida Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of popularity,” and Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence.”
Dig In! A Delectable Menu of Sharable Tapas & Indulgent Desserts
The Columbia eatery sets a magnificent table and provides a delightful getting away from daily life. It seduces your own senses as soon as you walk in the doors. You’re surrounded by greenery, h2o fountains, and artwork as the noise of laughter therefore the odors of new fish and shellfish dishes waft through environment. Before my order even gets to myself, my personal mouth is often watering with expectation. Thankfully, each guest will get his or her very own recently generated loaf of Cuban breads, thus I have actually something to please my tastebuds while we wait.
The 14-page selection is full of great meals additionally provides simple talk beginners for daters merely learning one another. Each entrée, appetizer, and treat has an enticing information also fascinating background info. By way of example, the cafe’s coconut frozen dessert had been a preferred of ice cream business person Gustavo Hernandez, the third child from the original Columbia president, now this nice meal is offered in the honor.
From the vegetarian paella (Spanish rice blended with satisfying veggies) into shrimp great (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the foods within Columbia tend to be bursting with taste. The shareable dishes, known as tapas, make this restaurant perfect for partners on a date since you will come closer together by revealing tiny dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or stuffed peppers. It is possible to generate a budget-friendly food by buying multiple of the appetizers with each other â just remember to truly save area for dessert!
The Très Amigos churros would-be a great option for partners since they are tactile, sweet, and merely slightly messy. You’ll be able to dip the piping-hot churros in candy, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little something for all. Plus, Columbia’s trademark White Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent treat ideal for splitting with a romantic date that has a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.
In 2017, the Marriott Traveler web log named the Columbia Restaurant among St. Augustine’s leading date-night areas, encouraging lovers to “begin with Columbia’s well-known 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, following share a huge platter with the Paella a la Valenciana, full of shellfish, aromatic rice, and chorizo.”
Your intimate night will be-all more pleasurable in the event that you set along with your meal one glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, a rich wine named after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and partner.
Plus, within Columbia Restaurant, the sangria will be perish for. Really, it comes down by cup but you can in addition separate a pitcher of white or reddish sangria with a night out together to boost your food knowledge. Amply huge slices of fruit drift from inside the drink and infuse it with wealthy flavors. Whether you are ordering this classic sangria or the restaurant’s family wines, the high-caliber beverages dont let you down.
Michael informed you the team helps make an effort to offer inexpensive yet high quality wines to whet visitors’ appetites. “our very own drink selection should always be completely designed for the meal we serve and your cost,” he said.
Countless partners & households Have Shared specialized times Here
When I think of this Columbia, i do believe in the evening we decided to have dessert for supper, and my moms and dads purchased churros, crucial lime pie, mango mousse meal, white chocolate loaves of bread pudding, and five spoons. I think of my personal twin-brother trying grouper for the first time on our 20th birthday and stating excitedly, “simply take my image” because he planned to show their gf (who’s today their girlfriend) that he liked taking in fish whenever she did.
In a lot of techniques, the Columbia is like our spot, but my family is not the only family to possess made memories during this cafe and its six sister places across Florida. People visited the cafe after all phases of life as it supplies an unique atmosphere that pairs well with any party.
Famously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were repeated visitors associated with Columbia in the early 1950s. The Columbia employees settled tribute to your couple plus the loving memories they contributed in the bistro by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” â a sautéed mixture of tenderloin recommendations, boneless chicken white meat, shrimp, and pork â is actually a tasty reminder in the extended history of relationship for the Columbia’s eating areas.
Whether you’re going on a first big date or remembering a marriage anniversary, you’ll find closeness and enthusiasm achieve the gentle candlelight on the Columbia eatery.
“It’s our goals,” Michael said, “to have people feel as if the Columbia is where to come to commemorate existence’s milestones.”
The Columbia Restaurant offers household standards towards the Table
The Columbia Restaurant charms daters with genuine meals, divine atmospheres, and friendly solution. The hosts, at the least at our Columbia in Sand Key, look closely at their particular friends and they are fast to state “Welcome right back” to loyal customers which, like my loved ones, are going back to the classy eating spaces over and over again.
This long-standing eating place has actually expanded and altered through the decades, but it hasn’t ever disregarded its century-long family sources. Richard has challenging intends to provide diners and daters throughout Florida from inside the many years to come. “our very own proprietor does not sleep,” Michael stated with fun. “he is constantly fantasizing up new things.”
The Columbia team intentions to open at the very least two brand-new restaurants during the upcoming decades. One will end up being conveniently found appropriate across the street from the original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to start in autumn 2018, can pay honor to limited community in Sicily where a majority of Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants emerged from â the authentic menu is designed to bring these people a delicious reminder of home.
Suffering authority and top quality tastes make Columbia eatery and all sorts of their cousin restaurants certainly great locations where singles and couples can invest an evening with those they like greatest.