Cuban Food and Latin Food Restaurants: Columbia Restaurant, Tampa, FL

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"Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban" and "Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban"

Glenn: It's funny how you never forget a great meal. Almost 20 years later and I can still tell you exactly what I ate at the Columbia restaurant.

Jorge: You're talking about the original restaurant in Ybor City -- the historic Cuban section of Tampa?

Glenn: Yes, what they call "the Gem of All Spanish Restaurants." The day was hot and I started my meal with a great chilled gazpacho. The thick tomato and vegetable puree had a wonderful citrus tang.

Jorge: There is nothing like gazpacho on a hot day.

Glenn: I was in the mood for seafood, and the Red Snapper "Alicante" was just the ticket. The fish was baked in a heavenly Creole sauce of onions, green peppers, roasted almonds, and garlic. And as if this wasn't rich and flavorful enough, the chef added fried eggplant and several shrimp wrapped in bacon. What a feast!

Raúl: I have had that dish. At the Columbia they call it Shrimp Supreme, a great entrée to order alone.

Glenn: My wife was making a meal of the restaurant's signature salad, the 1905. It's a huge salad so I got plenty of bites of this wonderful dish reminiscent of a great Caesar with a strong flavor of garlic, oregano, and Romano cheese.

Jorge: At the Columbia they smother this salad with strips of ham and Swiss cheese.

Glenn: Somehow, we saved room for dessert. We capped off our meal with a delicious slice of creamy guava cheesecake.

Raúl: And a Cuban coffee?

Glenn: No, no coffee. I still hadn't acquired a taste for café Cubano. That came years later.

Jorge: So much has changed at Ybor City over the years. It's become a lot more theme park and less of an historic site.

Raúl: The food at the Columbia has not changed -- it's still the same.

Glenn: They have stuck with the same dishes -- why mess up a good thing? The Columbia has expanded with branches in St. Augustine, the Pier in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and the new community of Celebration, south of Orlando. However the original is still the most historic -- they've been serving great food since 1905.

Jorge: Their 100 year anniversary is coming soon.

Raúl: And they'll probably still be in business 100 years from now!