The Family-Owned Columbia Restaurant: Florida’s Oldest Restaurant Creates a Beautiful Background For The Intimate Times

The brief variation: Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has supported Spanish and Cuban-inspired meals and beverages that signify a long-standing family history. Established by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia remains a nearby favored because of its old-fashioned ingredients and personable solution. Over the years, individuals from world-wide attended with the attractive cafe to celebrate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, as well as other monumental moments. Today, the fourth and fifth generations associated with the family has and works 13 various restaurants throughout Florida. If you’re looking for fine eating with a decent traditional family members sense, you’ll be able to reserve a table inside spectacular and passionate dinner areas in the Columbia eatery.

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For the past 3 decades, my children’s preferred vacation destination was an oceanfront resort in Sand Key, Fl. We have gone truth be told there over twelve occasions to create sand castles, place dolphins, and consume delicious dishes on patios overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

We have thoroughly investigated town’s restaurant choice, looking from the most useful neighborhood bones around, nevertheless only very occurs the one bistro most of us enjoy many is actually within taking walks distance in our hotel. The Columbia eatery’s white linen tablecloths, attentive service, and mouth-watering food ensure it is all of our go-to place for lunch.

When we had been kids, my parents would order us a mozzarella cheese pizza as they visited this enchanting Spanish bistro by yourself; but we have now enjoy tapas and drink just as much while they perform, therefore we’ve begun crashing their particular date night — sometimes getting along times of our own very own.

Since 1905, the Columbia Restaurant has actually wowed patrons with Spanish and Cuban meals and an old-world ambiance. Even though itis the oldest cafe in Florida, business remains operated by the descendants in the initial president. Every product on the diet plan features a tale behind it, and several of quality recipes have now been handed over from one generation associated with Hernandez Gonzmart household to a higher. Household tradition is a huge the main Columbia’s selection, background, and way of solution.

“the employees normally somewhat like family,” said Michael Kilgore, the main promotional Officer for your Columbia. “Many of our staff remain for 20 or three decades. One of many circumstances we love about all of our party is actually how long they stick to all of us. They arrive right here in order to find a home.”

You can enjoy this comfy and inviting atmosphere on your own after that date night when you go to any of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia eatery presently serves visitors in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and Celebration. Whether you are sipping drink on a picturesque balcony or enjoying flamenco performers illuminate the stage whilst you eat tapas, you’re sure to have a remarkable evening at Columbia.

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

The Columbia eatery can locate their background back to Dec. 17, 1903 — similar time the Wright brothers successfully tested worldwide’s first plane. Which was when a Cuban immigrant known as Casimiro Hernandez Sr. started working a saloon for an area preparing business in Tampa’s Ybor City.

In 1905, the industrious business owner turned the saloon into a prominent 60-seat cafe recognized for their real Cuban coffee and snacks. After their success, Casimiro bought a restaurant next-door and converted it into an attractive dining room. In 1930, their boy got more than control and operation for the thriving restaurant.

While in the Great anxiety, his son Casimiro Jr. created one air-conditioned dining room in Tampa. The guy hoped the upscale look and raised party floor would draw visitors to the cafe that assist all of them forget their particular concerns for per night. The Don Quixote area was actually a winner, while the Columbia was able to hold their doorways available even though many different organizations collapsed.

In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia onto their just youngster, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an established musician that has came across the woman spouse, Cesar Gonzmart, on Tampa cafe. This theatrical set introduced activity and art on Columbia, setting up a showroom that hosted numerous talented Latin dancers and performers. Under Adela and Cesar’s leadership, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota along with other locations in Florida.

Today, certainly one of Adela and Cesar’s two sons has had the reins and kept their family members’ business heading. Richard Gonzmart is functioning at their family members’ restaurants since he had been 12 years of age, so he could be closely knowledgeable about their atmosphere and history. Richard can in fact indicate the table in the Columbia eatery where he with his partner had their own first go out above 43 years ago.

“there are plenty of romance right here, and we have actually an excellent tale,” mentioned Michael. “under 15 restaurants in america tend to be family-owned and more than a century outdated, so we’re in pretty elite company.”

Florida’s earliest cafe features a proud and enduring record rooted in food, family, and enjoyable. Michael told united states the fifth generation associated with the founding family happens to be becoming groomed to take over one day. Richard’s daughters and nephew have chosen to take on active administration parts at restaurants and are generally prepared keep consitently the family members practice choosing a lot more years into the future.

The Columbia happens to be acknowledged with with the greatest honors in the bistro sector, including induction into Nation’s Restaurant News’ “good eating Hall of Fame,” won the “notable Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) honor of quality,” Florida Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of Fame,” and Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of quality.”

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

The Columbia eatery sets a lavish dining table and offers an enjoyable getting away from everyday life. It seduces the sensory faculties from the moment you walk in the doors. You’re enclosed by greenery, drinking water fountains, and artwork because the noise of fun therefore the smells of new fish and shellfish meals waft through the atmosphere. Before my personal purchase actually extends to me, my personal throat is often watering with expectation. Luckily for us, each guest gets his or her very own newly generated loaf of Cuban loaves of bread, so I have actually something you should satisfy my personal preferences while I wait.

The 14-page eating plan is full of good food and provides effortless conversation starters for daters just getting to know the other person. Each entrée, appetizer, and treat includes an enticing information including interesting history information. By way of example, the cafe’s coconut ice cream was a well liked of ice cream business person Gustavo Hernandez, the next daughter associated with initial Columbia creator, now this nice plate is actually supported in his honor.

From vegetarian paella (Spanish grain mixed with satisfying greens) to your shrimp great (shrimp wrapped in wafer-thin bacon), the foodstuffs at Columbia are bursting with taste. The shareable dishes, known as tapas, get this restaurant perfect for lovers on a night out together as you will come better with each other by sharing little plates of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or stuffed peppers. It is possible to create a budget-friendly dinner by buying multiple of the appetizers collectively — keep in mind to truly save place for treat!

The Très Amigos churros will be a fantastic choice for partners because they’re tactile, nice, and merely a tiny bit dirty. You’ll dip the piping-hot churros in candy, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s something for everyone. Additionally, Columbia’s signature light Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent treat perfect for splitting with a romantic date having a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.

In 2017, the Marriott Traveler web log called the Columbia Restaurant among St. Augustine’s leading date-night places, promoting lovers to “start out with Columbia’s famous 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with a lot panache, and then share a huge plate associated with Paella a la Valenciana, overflowing with shellfish, aromatic grain, and chorizo.”

The romantic evening will be-all more enjoyable should you combine with your meal one glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, an abundant wine called after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school sweetheart and partner.

Plus, from the Columbia eatery, the sangria will be perish for. Honestly, it comes down of the glass you could also divide a pitcher of white or red sangria with a date to improve your own eating experience. Nicely large pieces of good fresh fruit drift in wine and infuse it with rich flavors. Whether you are ordering this traditional sangria or one of the restaurant’s family wines, the high-caliber drinks do not let you down.

Michael told united states the team tends to make an endeavor to offer affordable yet high quality wines to whet visitors’ appetites. “Our drink selection must be perfectly fitted to the food we serve as well as your price point,” he stated.

Many partners & Families have actually Shared particular Moments Here

When i do believe of the Columbia, i believe of the night we decided to have dessert for supper, and my moms and dads ordered churros, crucial lime pie, mango mousse meal, white candy breads pudding, and five spoons. I do believe of my twin-brother trying grouper the very first time on the twentieth birthday and claiming excitedly, “get my photo” because he planned to reveal his girl (who’s now his wife) that he enjoyed taking fish as much as she performed.

In countless techniques, the Columbia feels like all of our location, but my family isn’t really the actual only real family members to possess generated recollections only at that bistro as well as its six sister places across Florida. Men and women arrived at the bistro at all stages of existence as it supplies a particular environment that pairs well with any occasion.

Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had been constant guests of Columbia in early 1950s. The Columbia staff members settled tribute towards the pair additionally the loving recollections they contributed from the cafe by naming a dish after all of them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” — a sautéed combination of tenderloin recommendations, boneless chicken breast, shrimp, and chicken — is actually a tasty reminder of this lengthy history of love in the Columbia’s eating areas.

Whether you’re going on a first day or celebrating a marriage anniversary, you’ll find closeness and love achieve the gentle candlelight of this Columbia eatery.

“It’s a objectives,” Michael stated, “having people feel as if the Columbia is the perfect place to come calmly to celebrate existence’s milestones.”

The Columbia eatery offers household Values to your Table

The Columbia eatery charms daters with real meals, divine atmospheres, and friendly service. The computers, at the very least at our very own Columbia in Sand Key, watch their visitors as they are fast to express “Welcome back” to dedicated consumers who, like my loved ones, are returning to the classy eating areas again and again.

This long-standing eating organization has cultivated and changed through the entire many years, it has not forgotten their century-long family roots. Richard has actually challenging intends to serve diners and daters throughout Florida during the years into the future. “All of our owner doesn’t rest,” Michael said with fun. “he is usually fantasizing upwards something new.”

The Columbia staff intends to start about two brand new restaurants inside coming decades. One will be easily situated correct down the street from the original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set to start in autumn 2018, can pay homage to a small village in Sicily in which most Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants arrived from — the authentic menu will bring these individuals a delicious note of residence.

Suffering management and top quality flavors improve Columbia eatery as well as their aunt restaurants certainly amazing locations in which singles and partners can spend a night together with those they love best.

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