The Family-Owned Columbia Restaurant: Fl’s Oldest Eatery Produces an attractive Background To Suit Your Romantic Moments

The Quick Version: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery provides offered Spanish and Cuban-inspired meals and products that express a long-standing genealogy. Launched by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia continues to be a local favorite due to the standard ingredients and personable solution. Over time, folks from world-wide came towards attractive cafe to commemorate involvements, anniversaries, birthdays, alongside monumental moments. Nowadays, the fourth and 5th years in the family members possesses and works 13 different restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re searching for great dinner with a decent antique household feel, you are able to reserve a table during the stunning and intimate dining spaces regarding the Columbia eatery.

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For the past 30 years, my loved ones’s preferred destination might an oceanfront hotel in Sand Key, Florida. We have now eliminated tclick here for a full review of cuckhold site over 12 instances to construct sand castles, spot dolphins, and consume tasty meals on patios ignoring the gulf.

We now have completely investigated the city’s cafe choice, looking out of the most useful local joints about, but it just very occurs the one bistro each of us enjoy most is within walking length of your resort. The Columbia Restaurant’s white linen tablecloths, conscious solution, and mouth-watering food make it the go-to place for supper.

As soon as we happened to be kids, my personal moms and dads would get united states a cheddar pizza pie as they went to this intimate Spanish cafe alone; however, we have now enjoy tapas and wine just as much as they would, therefore we’ve begun crashing their unique date night — occasionally delivering along times of our own.

Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has wowed patrons with Spanish and Cuban dishes and an old-world ambiance. Even though it’s the earliest cafe in Fl, the business enterprise still is operated of the descendants regarding the original founder. Every product in the menu has actually a tale behind it, and many of this meals were passed from one generation regarding the Hernandez Gonzmart family members to the next. Family tradition is a huge a portion of the Columbia’s menu, history, and method of service.

“The staff can be somewhat like family members,” mentioned Michael Kilgore, the main advertising Officer for the Columbia. “a number of our staff remain for 20 or thirty years. Among the many things we like about the class is actually just how long they stick to all of us. They arrive here and find a property.”

You can enjoy this comfy and inviting atmosphere on your next date night by going to any one of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant at this time serves guests in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and Celebration. Whether you’re sipping drink on a picturesque balcony or viewing flamenco dancers light the level even though you consume tapas, you’re certain to have a remarkable night in the Columbia.

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

The Columbia Restaurant can locate the background back once again to Dec. 17, 1903 — the exact same time the Wright brothers successfully tested the entire world’s first plane. That has been whenever a Cuban immigrant called Casimiro Hernandez Sr. began working a saloon for a regional making business in Tampa’s Ybor City.

In 1905, the industrious business person turned the saloon into a popular 60-seat cafe recognized for their genuine Cuban coffee-and sandwiches. Following his achievements, Casimiro bought a restaurant nearby and changed it into a striking living area. In 1930, their son got more than control and process in the flourishing cafe.

During the Great Depression, his child Casimiro Jr. built the very first air-conditioned kitchen in Tampa. The guy hoped the trendy appearance and elevated dance flooring would draw visitors to the bistro and help them forget their unique fears for per night. The Don Quixote Room ended up being a winner, while the Columbia could keep its doors available although additional businesses collapsed.

In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia on to his just child, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an established artist who had fulfilled the woman partner, Cesar Gonzmart, in the Tampa bistro. This theatrical set brought entertainment and art into the Columbia, developing a showroom that managed lots of talented Latin dancers and artists. Under Adela and Cesar’s authority, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota and various other places in Florida.

Now, among Adela and Cesar’s two sons has taken the reins and kept his family’s company heading. Richard Gonzmart has become operating at their family members’ restaurants since he was 12 yrs old, very he is closely knowledgeable about its atmosphere and history. Richard may actually point to the dining table on Columbia Restaurant where the guy along with his partner had their own first go out significantly more than 43 in years past.

“there’s lots of relationship here, and we have actually the tale,” said Michael. “Less than 15 restaurants in the usa are family-owned and most a century old, therefore we’re in pretty elite organization.”

Florida’s oldest restaurant provides a pleased and enduring background rooted in meals, household, and enjoyable. Michael told you the 5th generation associated with the founding family members is now becoming groomed to take over someday. Richard’s daughters and nephew have taken on active administration roles at restaurants as they are prepared to keep consitently the family tradition opting for even more years into the future.

The Columbia happens to be known with some in the highest prizes during the restaurant sector, including induction into country’s Restaurant News’ “great dinner Hall of Fame,” made the “Distinguished Restaurants of united states (SiRoNA) Award of quality,” Fl Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of Fame,” and Wine Spectator’s “better of Award of Excellence.”

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

The Columbia Restaurant sets a luxurious table and a delightful getting away from everyday life. It seduces your own senses as soon as you walk in the doors. You’re in the middle of greenery, water fountains, and artwork because the noise of fun additionally the smells of new fish dishes waft through the atmosphere. Before my purchase actually extends to me personally, my throat is watering with anticipation. Luckily for us, each guest will get his or her own recently made loaf of Cuban bread, so I have actually something you should meet my preferences while I wait.

The 14-page diet plan is full of good meals and provides easy discussion starters for daters only learning each other. Each entrée, appetizer, and dessert includes an enticing information along with fascinating back ground info. Such as, the cafe’s coconut ice-cream was actually a preferred of ice cream business owner Gustavo Hernandez, the third daughter with the original Columbia founder, now this sweet plate is actually offered within his respect.

From veggie paella (Spanish grain combined with satisfying greens) towards the shrimp great (shrimp covered with wafer-thin bacon), the meals at Columbia tend to be bursting with taste. The shareable dishes, called tapas, get this cafe perfect for partners on a romantic date because you may come better with each other by revealing small dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or packed peppers. You can easily generate a budget-friendly food by purchasing a few of the appetizers with each other — keep in mind to save space for treat!

The Très Amigos churros will be an excellent option for partners because they’re tactile, sweet, and simply just a little messy. You’ll drop the piping-hot churros in chocolate, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s something for everybody. In addition, Columbia’s trademark White Chocolate Bread Pudding is actually an indulgent treat perfect for splitting with a romantic date having a taste for white candy and rum sauce.

In 2017, the Marriott Traveler weblog known as the Columbia eatery among St. Augustine’s top date-night places, motivating couples to “begin with Columbia’s popular 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, then discuss a huge platter for the Paella a la Valenciana, overflowing with shellfish, aromatic grain, and chorizo.”

The intimate evening will be-all the greater enjoyable in the event that you combine along with your dinner a glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, a rich wine known as after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and girlfriend.

Plus, at Columbia Restaurant, the sangria will be die for. Honestly, it comes from the glass but you can also separate a pitcher of white or red-colored sangria with a night out together to improve the eating experience. Amply large pieces of fresh fruit float during the wine and infuse it with rich tastes. Whether you are buying this traditional sangria or the restaurant’s family wines, the high-caliber beverages never let you down.

Michael informed you the team can make an effort to provide affordable however top quality wines to whet guests’ appetites. “the wine choice need perfectly fitted to the food we offer and your selling price,” the guy mentioned.

Countless Couples & Families have actually Shared specialized times Here

When I think with the Columbia, i believe regarding the evening we made a decision to have treat for lunch, and my personal parents bought churros, essential lime pie, mango mousse meal, white candy breads dessert, and five spoons. In my opinion of my twin brother attempting grouper the very first time on our twentieth birthday and saying excitedly, “get my personal photo” because the guy desired to show their sweetheart (that is today their girlfriend) that he liked taking in fish as much as she performed.

In many means, the Columbia feels as though the place, but my family isn’t the sole family members to possess made memories during that bistro and its particular six sister places across Fl. People visited the cafe after all phases of life as it supplies a particular atmosphere that pairs really with any special event.

Famously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were frequent friends of Columbia in the early 1950s. The Columbia staff members settled tribute towards few while the warm memories they contributed in the cafe by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” — a sautéed mixture of tenderloin guidelines, boneless chicken white meat, shrimp, and pork — is a delicious reminder of this long history of romance in the Columbia’s dining spaces.

Whether you are going on an initial big date or remembering a marriage anniversary, you will find closeness and love achieve the soft candlelight from the Columbia Restaurant.

“It is one of the targets,” Michael said, “to possess individuals feel like the Columbia is the place to come calmly to celebrate existence’s goals.”

The Columbia Restaurant Brings Family standards into the Table

The Columbia Restaurant charms daters with real meals, divine atmospheres, and friendly solution. The servers, at the least at all of our Columbia in Sand Key, pay attention to their unique visitors as they are rapid to say “Welcome right back” to dedicated customers which, like my children, find themselves returning to the stylish dining spaces over and over again.

This long-standing eating institution has actually cultivated and altered through the many years, nevertheless has not disregarded the century-long family members origins. Richard provides committed plans to serve diners and daters throughout Fl from inside the many years to come. “our very own manager doesn’t sleep,” Michael said with fun. “He’s constantly fantasizing right up something totally new.”

The Columbia team intentions to open up no less than two new restaurants within the coming years. One will be conveniently positioned appropriate next door from the initial Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to open up in fall 2018, pay honor to a little community in Sicily where most Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants emerged from — the genuine diet plan aims to bring these people a tasty note of home.

Suffering management and high quality flavors make the Columbia eatery and all of its aunt restaurants really impressive locations where singles and lovers can spend an evening in the company of those they like most readily useful.