The Family-Owned Columbia Restaurant: Fl’s Oldest Restaurant Produces a lovely Backdrop For The Enchanting Moments

The Short type: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery features supported Spanish and Cuban-inspired dishes and drinks that portray a long-standing genealogy. Founded by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia remains an area favored simply because of its conventional foods and personable solution. Throughout the years, folks from all over the globe have come towards the attractive cafe to commemorate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, alongside monumental moments. Today, the 4th and 5th years regarding the family possesses and functions 13 different restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re looking for okay eating with a good conventional family feel, it is possible to reserve a table when you look at the spectacular and passionate dining spaces of this Columbia Restaurant.

Share

Over the past thirty years, my family’s favorite holiday destination has-been an oceanfront lodge in Sand Key, Florida. We have eliminated indeed there over a dozen instances to construct sand castles, area whales, and eat tasty dinners on patios ignoring the gulf.

We completely explored the city’s restaurant variety, looking around from finest regional joints about, but it just very happens that one bistro everyone enjoy the majority of is within walking length of your hotel. The Columbia eatery’s white-linen tablecloths, conscious solution, and mouth-watering meals create our very own go-to spot for lunch.

Once we happened to be young ones, my personal moms and dads would get you a cheddar pizza while they checked out this passionate Spanish restaurant by yourself; however, we currently enjoy tapas and drink as much while they carry out, therefore we’ve begun crashing their particular date night — sometimes getting along times of our own.

Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has actually wowed clients with Spanish and Cuban dishes and an old-world atmosphere. Although itis the oldest restaurant in Florida, the business continues to be run because of the descendants of the original president. Every object regarding the selection features an account behind it, and lots of associated with dishes are handed over from one generation associated with Hernandez Gonzmart household to the next. Household custom is an enormous part of the Columbia’s eating plan, record, and method of service.

“The staff is also a bit like family,” stated Michael Kilgore, the Chief promotion Officer when it comes to Columbia. “quite a few staff members remain for 20 or 30 years. Among the many circumstances we like about our very own class is actually the length of time they stay with us. They arrive right here and locate a home.”

You may enjoy this comfy and welcoming atmosphere on your own after that night out by visiting any one of the Columbia’s seven various restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant at this time serves friends in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater seashore, and party. Whether you’re drinking wine on a picturesque balcony or watching flamenco dancers illuminate the level whilst you consume tapas, you are guaranteed to have a remarkable evening at the Columbia.

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

The Columbia eatery can track the record back into Dec. 17, 1903 — the exact same day the Wright brothers effectively tried the whole world’s very first aircraft. Which was when a Cuban immigrant called Casimiro Hernandez Sr. started running a saloon for a local preparing company in Tampa’s Ybor City.

In 1905, the industrious entrepreneur turned the saloon into popular 60-seat cafe recognized for their real adult sex sites Cuban coffee and snacks. After their achievements, Casimiro purchased a restaurant next-door and changed it into a striking dining area. In 1930, their daughter got more than control and procedure of flourishing restaurant.

While in the Great Depression, their child Casimiro Jr. built the very first air-conditioned dining room in Tampa. The guy hoped its trendy look and elevated dance floor would draw men and women to the restaurant and help them forget their unique fears for every night. The Don Quixote Room had been popular, additionally the Columbia could keep the doors available even though many additional companies collapsed.

In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia on to their just child, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an accomplished artist who’d met the woman spouse, Cesar Gonzmart, in the Tampa bistro. This theatrical pair brought enjoyment and art with the Columbia, developing a showroom that hosted many skilled Latin performers and musicians. Under Adela and Cesar’s authority, the Columbia extended to Sarasota along with other locations in Fl.

Now, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has brought the reins and held his family’s business going. Richard Gonzmart is operating at their family members’ restaurants since he was 12 years old, very he could be closely acquainted their environment and background. Richard may actually point to the dining table from the Columbia eatery where the guy and his awesome partner had their basic go out over 43 in years past.

“there’s lots of romance here, therefore have actually a good tale,” said Michael. “Less than 15 restaurants in america are family-owned and more than 100 years old, therefore we’re in pretty elite business.”

Fl’s earliest cafe has actually a pleased and enduring background rooted in meals, family members, and fun. Michael told united states the 5th generation of founding family is being groomed to take control 1 day. Richard’s daughters and nephew took in active control functions during the restaurants and generally are ready to keep carefully the household practice choosing even more years into the future.

The Columbia happens to be recognized with some of this greatest prizes inside the bistro business, such as induction into country’s Restaurant Information’ “great food Hall of popularity,” made the “notable Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) honor of quality,” Fl Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of popularity,” and Wine Spectator’s “Best of honor of Excellence.”

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

The Columbia eatery sets a lavish table and offers an enjoyable escape from every day life. It seduces your senses as soon as you walk-in the doors. You are enclosed by greenery, liquid fountains, and artwork as the noises of fun while the scents of new seafood meals waft through air. Before my personal purchase actually reaches myself, my personal mouth area is often watering with anticipation. Luckily, each visitor becomes his or her own freshly generated loaf of Cuban breads, so I have something to meet my tastebuds while we wait.

The 14-page diet plan is filled with good food additionally supplies easy discussion starters for daters just getting to know each other. Each entrée, appetizer, and dessert has an enticing description and interesting background details. For instance, the restaurant’s coconut ice-cream was a well liked of ice-cream entrepreneur Gustavo Hernandez, the 3rd daughter associated with initial Columbia creator, and after this this nice recipe is actually offered in the honor.

Through the veggie paella (Spanish grain combined with hearty vegetables) into shrimp great (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the foodstuffs in the Columbia are bursting with flavor. The shareable plates, labeled as tapas, make this bistro suitable for couples on a date since you can come better together by discussing tiny plates of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or packed peppers. You can generate a budget-friendly meal by ordering several of the appetizers with each other — just remember to save area for dessert!

The Très Amigos churros will be a fantastic choice for partners because they’re tactile, nice, and just only a little dirty. You can dip the piping-hot churros in candy, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little for all. In addition, Columbia’s trademark light Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent treat ideal for splitting with a romantic date having a taste for white candy and rum sauce.

In 2017, the Marriott Traveler web log named 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 much panache, then discuss an enormous plate of the Paella a la Valenciana, overflowing with shellfish, aromatic grain, and chorizo.”

Your romantic evening will be-all the greater amount of satisfying should you set with your meal a glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, an abundant drink known as after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school sweetheart and spouse.

Plus, at Columbia Restaurant, the sangria is always to die for. Honestly, referring of the cup you could also divide a pitcher of white or yellow sangria with a romantic date to improve your own dinner experience. Nicely huge cuts of fruit float within the drink and infuse it with wealthy tastes. Whether you’re purchasing this traditional sangria or the cafe’s household wines, the high-caliber beverages never disappoint.

Michael told all of us the team makes an attempt available inexpensive but quality wines to whet visitors’ appetites. “Our drink option must be perfectly designed for the food we serve along with your price,” he stated.

Countless Couples & households have actually Shared Special Moments Here

When In my opinion of the Columbia, In my opinion associated with evening we decided to have dessert for lunch, and my personal moms and dads ordered churros, crucial lime pie, mango mousse cake, white candy loaves of bread pudding, and five spoons. I think of my personal twin brother trying grouper the very first time on the 20th birthday and saying excitedly, “just take my picture” because he desired to show their girl (that is today his partner) which he loved taking in fish around she performed.

In many steps, the Columbia feels as though all of our location, but my family is not the sole household to possess produced recollections as of this restaurant as well as its six sister locations across Fl. Men and women come to the cafe anyway phases of life as it provides a special environment that pairs well with any function.

Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were repeated visitors on the Columbia in the early 1950s. The Columbia team paid tribute to the couple together with enjoying memories they contributed on cafe by naming a dish after them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” — a sautéed mixture of tenderloin tips, boneless chicken white meat, shrimp, and chicken — is a delicious reminder of the extended reputation of love within the Columbia’s dining spaces.

Whether you are going on a first time or honoring a wedding anniversary, you will find closeness and love flourish in the gentle candlelight of Columbia eatery.

“It’s a goals,” Michael stated, “having individuals feel as if the Columbia is where to come to commemorate life’s milestones.”

The Columbia eatery offers household standards on the Table

The Columbia eatery charms daters with real meals, divine atmospheres, and personable solution. The computers, at least at the Columbia in Sand Key, focus on their unique friends consequently they are fast to say “Welcome straight back” to faithful consumers just who, like my loved ones, end up returning to the classy dining areas over repeatedly.

This long-standing food business features grown and changed through the entire decades, nonetheless it never forgotten about their century-long household origins. Richard has ambitious plans to serve diners and daters throughout Fl within the years into the future. “the holder doesn’t sleep,” Michael stated with a laugh. “He’s constantly dreaming right up new things.”

The Columbia group intends to open up at least two brand new restaurants inside coming many years. One will end up being conveniently found correct down the street from original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to start in autumn 2018, will probably pay honor to a little village in Sicily in which most Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants emerged from — the real eating plan will deliver these households a delicious indication of house.

Suffering management and quality types result in the Columbia Restaurant and all of their sister restaurants certainly amazing spots in which singles and partners can invest an evening in the company of those they love most readily useful.