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

The brief variation: Since 1905, the Columbia eatery has actually offered Spanish and Cuban-inspired meals and drinks that represent a long-standing genealogy and family history. Established by a Cuban immigrant in Tampa, the Columbia stays a nearby favorite due to its traditional foods and friendly solution. Through the years, people from all over the globe have come into the glamorous bistro to celebrate engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, alongside monumental minutes. Now, the fourth and fifth years of the family members owns and runs 13 various restaurants throughout Fl. If you’re searching for okay dining with a good old-fashioned family feel, you can reserve a table in the stunning and romantic dining spaces regarding the Columbia eatery.

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Over the past 3 decades, my loved ones’s favored holiday destination is an oceanfront resort in Sand Key, Florida. We’ve eliminated indeed there over twelve instances to create sand castles, place dolphins, and eat tasty dinners on patios overlooking the gulf coast of florida.

We thoroughly explored the city’s restaurant variety, looking around from best regional bones about, however it simply very occurs the one restaurant most of us enjoy most is actually within strolling range of your hotel. The Columbia Restaurant’s white-linen tablecloths, mindful service, and mouth-watering food succeed the go-to place for supper.

As soon as we were children, my moms and dads would get us a parmesan cheese pizza while they visited this romantic Spanish restaurant alone; but we currently enjoy tapas and wine just as much as they would, therefore we’ve begun crashing their unique date night — sometimes providing along dates of one’s own.

Since 1905, the Columbia eatery has actually wowed patrons with Spanish and Cuban dishes and an old-world atmosphere. Although itis the oldest restaurant in Florida, the business is still operated by the descendants with the initial president. Every object regarding the eating plan has actually a tale behind it, and lots of regarding the dishes currently transmitted from one generation with the Hernandez Gonzmart family members to the next. Household custom is a huge area of the Columbia’s diet plan, background, and method to solution.

“The staff can be quite like household,” mentioned Michael Kilgore, the principle Marketing Officer when it comes down to Columbia. “quite a few staff members stay for 20 or thirty years. Among situations we love about the class is just how long they stay with us. They are available right here and find property.”

You may enjoy this comfortable and inviting environment on your subsequent night out when you go to any of the Columbia’s seven different restaurants. The Columbia eatery at this time serves guests in Tampa, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, and Celebration. Whether you’re sipping wine on a picturesque balcony or enjoying flamenco performers illuminate the level when you consume tapas, you’re certain to have a remarkable evening within Columbia.

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

The Columbia eatery can trace their record back once again to Dec. 17, 1903 — the same day the Wright brothers successfully tried globally’s very first aircraft. Which was when a Cuban immigrant called Casimiro Hernandez Sr. started operating a saloon for a local preparing business in Tampa’s Ybor City.

In 1905, the industrious entrepreneur turned the saloon into a popular 60-seat cafe noted for their genuine Cuban coffee-and sandwiches. After his achievements, Casimiro purchased a restaurant across the street and changed it into a gorgeous dining area. In 1930, their daughter took over control and process with the thriving bistro.

While in the Great Depression, their boy Casimiro Jr. created one air-conditioned dining room in Tampa. The guy hoped its upscale appearance and elevated dance floor would draw individuals the bistro and help all of them forget about their unique concerns for every night. The Don Quixote place had been a winner, and also the Columbia was able to hold its doors available even though many different businesses collapsed.

In 1953, Casimiro Jr. passed the Columbia on to his just son or daughter, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, an accomplished artist who had fulfilled the woman spouse, Cesar Gonzmart, within Tampa cafe. This theatrical pair brought activity and art on Columbia, creating a showroom that hosted lots of skilled Latin performers and artists. Under Adela and Cesar’s management, the Columbia expanded to Sarasota along with other places in Fl.

Today, certainly one of Adela and Cesar’s two sons has brought the reins and held their family’s business heading. Richard Gonzmart has been functioning at his family’s restaurants since he was 12 years of age, thus he is closely acquainted with its atmosphere and record. Richard can actually point out the dining table at Columbia Restaurant where the guy with his partner had their particular very first day a lot more than 43 years ago.

“there’s lots of love here, and we have actually outstanding tale,” said Michael. “below 15 restaurants in america are family-owned and more than a century outdated, therefore we’re in pretty elite organization.”

Florida’s oldest cafe has actually a happy and enduring record grounded on food, household, and enjoyable. Michael told united states the 5th generation from the founding family is being groomed to take over eventually. Richard’s daughters and nephew have chosen to take in effective control functions at the restaurants and tend to be willing to maintain the household practice opting for many others a long time.

The Columbia was known which includes of the highest honours from inside the restaurant business, such as induction into country’s Restaurant Information’ “Fine eating Hall of popularity,” won the “Distinguished Restaurants of North America (SiRoNA) honor of quality,” Fl Trend’s “Golden Spoon Hall of popularity,” and Wine Spectator’s “good honor of quality.”

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

The Columbia eatery sets a lavish dining table and an enjoyable escape from everyday life. It seduces your own senses from the moment you walk-in the doorways. You are enclosed by greenery, liquid fountains, and artwork given that noises of laughter together with smells of fresh fish and shellfish meals waft through the environment. Before my order also extends to me, my personal lips is always watering with anticipation. Thank goodness, each visitor will get his or her very own recently generated loaf of Cuban bread, so I have one thing to satisfy my tastebuds while we wait.

The 14-page diet plan is full of good food but provides easy discussion beginners for daters simply learning the other person. Each entrée, appetizer, and dessert comes with an enticing information together with fascinating back ground information. For instance, the cafe’s coconut ice cream was actually a well liked of ice cream business owner Gustavo Hernandez, the third boy of original Columbia founder, and after this this nice recipe is actually supported within his respect.

Through the veggie paella (Spanish rice blended with satisfying veggies) toward shrimp great (shrimp wrapped in wafer-thin bacon), the meals at Columbia tend to be bursting with flavor. The shareable dishes, labeled as tapas, make this restaurant suitable for lovers on a date because you will come better with each other by revealing little dishes of empanadas, sliced chorizo, croquetas, or packed peppers. It’s easy to generate a budget-friendly dinner by buying a few of those appetizers collectively — keep in mind to save lots of place for dessert!

The Très Amigos churros would be an excellent choice for lovers since they are tactile, sweet, and just some dirty. You can easily drop the piping-hot churros in candy, caramel, or guava sauce generally there’s a little for everyone. Additionally, Columbia’s signature light Chocolate Bread Pudding is an indulgent dessert excellent for splitting with a date who’s a taste for white chocolate and rum sauce.

In 2017, the Marriott Traveler weblog known as the Columbia Restaurant among St. Augustine’s leading date-night areas, motivating lovers to “begin with Columbia’s famous 1905 Salad, assembled table-side with much panache, then discuss a massive platter of the Paella a la Valenciana, full of shellfish, aromatic rice, and chorizo.”

Your own intimate night will be all more pleasurable any time you set along with your food a glass of the Melanie Chardonnay, a rich drink called after Melanie Gonzmart, Richard’s high-school lover and girlfriend.

Plus, on Columbia eatery, the sangria would be to perish for. Honestly, it comes from the cup but you can also divide a pitcher of white or red sangria with a night out together to improve the eating experience. Nicely big slices of fresh fruit float inside the wine and infuse it with rich tastes. Whether you’re purchasing this classic sangria or among the restaurant’s family members wines, the high-caliber drinks you should never disappoint.

Michael told you the group tends to make an effort to offer inexpensive but high quality wines to whet visitors’ appetites. “All of our wine choice ought to be perfectly suited for the food we provide and your cost,” he mentioned.

Countless Couples & households Have Shared Special times Here

When I think in the Columbia, In my opinion associated with the night we chose to have treat for dinner, and my personal moms and dads ordered churros, essential lime pie, mango mousse cake, white chocolate loaves of bread pudding, and five spoons. I believe of my personal twin-brother attempting grouper the very first time on the 20th birthday celebration and claiming excitedly, “just take my personal photo” because he wished to reveal their sweetheart (who’s now his girlfriend) which he liked taking in fish everything she did.

In many ways, the Columbia feels like our very own place, but my loved ones isn’t really the only family members to possess made memories during that bistro and its six sister locations across Fl. Folks arrived at the cafe after all stages of existence since it provides a unique environment that pairs well with any gathering.

Notoriously, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were repeated friends with the Columbia during the early 1950s. The Columbia personnel settled tribute with the couple plus the enjoying recollections they provided at the cafe by naming a dish after them. The Marilyn & Joe “Salteado” — a sautéed blend of tenderloin ideas, boneless chicken white meat, shrimp, and chicken — is a tasty reminder of the very long history of romance within the Columbia’s dining areas.

Whether you’re taking place a first day or honoring a marriage anniversary, you will discover intimacy and love achieve the smooth candlelight for the Columbia eatery.

“its our goals,” Michael stated, “to possess folks feel like the Columbia is where to come calmly to celebrate life’s milestones.”

The Columbia eatery Brings household Values toward Table

The Columbia eatery charms daters with authentic dishes, divine atmospheres, and personable service. The computers, at the least at the Columbia in Sand Key, look closely at their particular friends consequently they are rapid to express “Welcome back” to dedicated clients who, like my family, end up time for the stylish eating spaces again and again.

This long-standing eating organization provides expanded and altered for the years, nonetheless it never disregarded the century-long family sources. Richard has committed intends to provide diners and daters throughout Fl within the many years to come. “our very own manager does not sleep,” Michael said with fun. “he is constantly thinking right up something totally new.”

The Columbia group intends to open up about two brand-new restaurants during the coming many years. One will end up being easily found appropriate down the street through the original Columbia in Tampa. Casa Santo Stefano, set-to open up in fall 2018, pay homage to a tiny town in Sicily in which a majority of Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants emerged from — the authentic eating plan is designed to bring these family members a delicious note of home.

Suffering authority and top quality types result in the Columbia Restaurant and all its brother restaurants certainly great locations where singles and partners can spend an evening in the company of those they love finest.

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