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The Family-Owned Columbia Eatery: Florida’s Oldest Eatery Produces a Beautiful Backdrop For Your Intimate Minutes

The brief type: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery has actually supported Spanish and Cuban-inspired meals and beverages that represent a long-standing genealogy. Established by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia stays a regional favorite because of its old-fashioned meals and friendly service. Through the years, individuals from worldwide have come toward attractive bistro to celebrate engagements, wedding anniversaries, birthdays, also monumental minutes. Now, the next and 5th generations of family members is the owner of and runs 13 different restaurants throughout Florida. If you’re looking for okay dining with a decent antique household sense, you are able to reserve a table inside stunning and enchanting eating rooms associated with the Columbia Restaurant.

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For the past 30 years, my family’s favorite vacation destination was an oceanfront hotel in Sand Key, Florida. We’ve gone there over a dozen times to build mud castles, place whales, and eat tasty dinners on patios overlooking the gulf coast of florida.

We’ve thoroughly explored town’s restaurant variety, looking around from the best neighborhood bones around, nonetheless it merely so takes place your one cafe all of us enjoy most is within strolling range of your hotel. The Columbia Restaurant’s white linen tablecloths, attentive service, and mouth-watering food ensure it is all of our go-to area for dinner.

Whenever we happened to be young ones, my parents would get all of us a cheese pizza pie while they visited this passionate Spanish restaurant by yourself; but we now enjoy tapas and wine just as much because they carry out, so we’ve started crashing their night out — often providing along times of your own.

Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has actually wowed patrons with Spanish and Cuban meals and an old-world atmosphere. Although itis the oldest bistro in Florida, the company continues to be operate by descendants on the initial president. Every item about selection has actually a story behind it, and lots of of this dishes have been transmitted from one generation of Hernandez Gonzmart family to the next. Family custom is an enormous an element of the Columbia’s menu, history, and method of solution.

“the employees is quite like family,” said Michael Kilgore, the principle Marketing Officer your Columbia. “Many of our employees remain for 20 or three decades. Among the situations we like about all of our class is actually the length of time they stick with us. They arrive right here and locate a property.”

You can enjoy this comfortable and inviting atmosphere on the next night out when you go to any one of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant at this time acts friends in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and party. Whether you are sipping drink on a picturesque balcony or seeing flamenco dancers illuminate the level when you eat tapas, you are sure to have an unforgettable night during the Columbia.

In 1905, a Cuban Immigrant Ran a Saloon That Became a Sensation

The Columbia eatery can locate its record back to Dec. 17, 1903 — alike time the Wright brothers successfully tested the whole world’s first aircraft. That was when a Cuban immigrant known as Casimiro Hernandez Sr. began running a saloon for a local matures making organization in Tampa’s Ybor City.

In 1905, the industrious entrepreneur turned the saloon into popular 60-seat cafe known for its authentic Cuban coffee-and sandwiches. Soon after their success, Casimiro ordered a cafe or restaurant next door and switched it into a gorgeous dining room. In 1930, his boy got more than ownership and operation of the flourishing cafe.

During Great anxiety, their boy Casimiro Jr. built initial air-conditioned dining room in Tampa. The guy hoped the trendy appearance and raised dance flooring would draw men and women to the restaurant that assist all of them forget about their worries for per night. The Don Quixote place was actually a success, together with Columbia managed to keep its doors available even though many some other organizations folded.

In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia on to their only youngster, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an experienced artist that has fulfilled her spouse, Cesar Gonzmart, in the Tampa cafe. This theatrical set brought entertainment and art towards the Columbia, creating a showroom that managed many talented Latin performers and performers. Under Adela and Cesar’s management, the Columbia extended to Sarasota and other locations in Florida.

Today, certainly Adela and Cesar’s two sons has brought the reins and kept his family members’ business going. Richard Gonzmart was operating at their family members’ restaurants since he was 12 years old, thus he’s thoroughly acquainted with its atmosphere and history. Richard can point out the table within Columbia eatery in which he along with his girlfriend had their unique first big date above 43 in years past.

“There’s a lot of romance here, and now we have actually a great tale,” said Michael. “around 15 restaurants in the United States are family-owned and most a century outdated, so we’re in pretty elite company.”

Florida’s earliest bistro features a pleased and enduring background rooted in food, family members, and enjoyable. Michael informed you the 5th generation for the founding family members is being groomed to take over eventually. Richard’s daughters and nephew have chosen to take on active management functions in the restaurants and therefore are ready to keep the family custom going for additional a long time.

The Columbia is acknowledged with some of this highest prizes in restaurant market, including induction into country’s Restaurant News’ “Fine food Hall of Fame,” gained the “Distinguished Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) Award of quality,” Florida Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of popularity,” and Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of quality.”

Dig In! A Delectable Menu of Sharable Tapas & Indulgent Desserts

The Columbia eatery sets a magnificent table and gives a wonderful escape from daily life. It seduces the senses from the moment you walk in the doorways. You are surrounded by greenery, liquid fountains, and artwork since sounds of laughter while the smells of new fish and shellfish dishes waft through environment. Before my personal purchase also extends to me, my personal lips is definitely watering with expectation. Luckily for us, each visitor will get their very own freshly made loaf of Cuban bread, so I have actually one thing to fulfill my personal tastebuds while we wait.

The 14-page selection is filled with great food additionally provides simple dialogue starters for daters merely getting to know one another. Each entrée, appetizer, and treat comes with an enticing information together with fascinating background info. As an example, the restaurant’s coconut ice cream was actually a well liked of ice cream business owner Gustavo Hernandez, the third son of this original Columbia creator, and after this this nice meal is actually supported inside the honor.

From veggie paella (Spanish rice blended with satisfying greens) on the shrimp supreme (shrimp wrapped in wafer-thin bacon), the meals in the Columbia tend to be bursting with flavor. The shareable dishes, labeled as tapas, get this cafe well suited for couples on a romantic date as you may come closer together by revealing small plates of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or packed peppers. It is simple to generate a budget-friendly meal by purchasing a couple of of the appetizers together — remember to save lots of area for treat!

The Très Amigos churros is a great selection for partners because they’re tactile, sweet, and just a tiny bit dirty. You can easily drop the piping-hot churros in candy, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little something for everybody. In addition, Columbia’s trademark White Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent dessert excellent for splitting with a night out together who has got a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.

In 2017, the Marriott Traveler weblog named the Columbia eatery among St. Augustine’s leading date-night spots, encouraging partners to “start off with Columbia’s well-known 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, immediately after which discuss a massive platter associated with Paella a la Valenciana, filled with shellfish, fragrant grain, and chorizo.”

Your intimate evening will be all the greater number of pleasurable should you pair with your food one glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, an abundant wine called after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and girlfriend.

Plus, at the Columbia Restaurant, the sangria is to die for. Really, referring from the glass but you can in addition separate a pitcher of white or red sangria with a romantic date to improve your own food knowledge. Generously huge pieces of good fresh fruit drift from inside the wine and infuse it with rich tastes. Whether you’re ordering this traditional sangria or one of several cafe’s family members wines, the high-caliber beverages do not let you down.

Michael told united states the team makes an attempt available inexpensive however top quality wines to whet friends’ appetites. “our very own drink option is perfectly suited for the meals we provide as well as your cost,” the guy stated.

Many Couples & groups have actually Shared specialized times Here

When In my opinion for the Columbia, i do believe regarding the evening we decided to have treat for supper, and my personal moms and dads purchased churros, key lime pie, mango mousse meal, white chocolate breads pudding, and five spoons. I believe of my personal twin-brother trying grouper for the first time on our twentieth birthday and claiming excitedly, “simply take my image” because he wished to reveal their sweetheart (that’s today their partner) which he liked taking fish as much as she did.

In so many methods, the Columbia feels like our place, but my children is not the only real family to have produced recollections as of this bistro and its own six sister places across Fl. Folks visited the bistro at all stages of existence as it provides a special atmosphere that sets really with any celebration.

Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were constant friends in the Columbia in early 1950s. The Columbia team settled tribute to your couple together with loving recollections they provided at restaurant by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” — a sautéed blend of tenderloin ideas, boneless chicken, shrimp, and chicken — is actually a tasty indication regarding the lengthy reputation of love from inside the Columbia’s eating rooms.

Whether you are going on a primary big date or remembering a wedding anniversary, you’ll find closeness and enthusiasm flourish in the smooth candlelight of this Columbia eatery.

“its one of our objectives,” Michael mentioned, “to own individuals feel like the Columbia is where to come to celebrate life’s milestones.”

The Columbia eatery has household Values towards the Table

The Columbia Restaurant charms daters with real dishes, divine atmospheres, and personable solution. The machines, at the least at our Columbia in Sand Key, pay attention to their unique guests and are also fast to state “Welcome back” to faithful consumers just who, like my loved ones, are returning to the classy dining areas regularly.

This long-standing dining establishment features expanded and changed in the years, nonetheless it has not forgotten about its century-long household roots. Richard has actually bold intends to provide diners and daters throughout Fl inside years into the future. “Our holder does not rest,” Michael mentioned with a laugh. “he is usually fantasizing upwards something new.”

The Columbia group plans to open up at the very least two brand new restaurants into the upcoming decades. One will be easily located appropriate across the street through the original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to open up in autumn 2018, can pay respect to a little village in Sicily where a majority of Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants arrived from — the genuine diet plan is designed to bring these families a delicious indication of residence.

Enduring management and top quality flavors improve Columbia Restaurant as well as the sibling restaurants certainly remarkable spots in which singles and partners can invest a night with those they like greatest.