The Columbia Restaurant is
the nation's largest Spanish restaurant and Florida's oldest at 100 years old.
Started in 1905 by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez in the burgeoning cigar
capitol of Ybor City Tampa, they now have 7 locations in Florida as well as
their own cigar factory and store, where they make the "Gonzalez y
Martinez" brand of cigars.
I
was on the West coast of Florida recently and decided to visit two of The
Columbia's locations. On my way driving up the coast, I stopped in at the
Sarasota location on St.
Armand's Circle and then drove an hour North to the original location in Tampa's
Ybor City. I have been to both locations to eat, drink and smoke several times
throughout the years. The Columbia remains one of my favorite places. I even
have their cookbook.
In Sarasota, John Monetti, the
General Manager (pictured below) was very gracious in granting me his time as my visit was
impromptu and they were right in the middle of preparations to open for the
day's business. We picked out a couple of Gonzalez y
Martinez cigars from the humidor and browsed the gift shop.
In the gift shop, they sell the
Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook, which not only has 178 recipes, but
the history of The Columbia as well. I've had the book for several years and
frequently use the recipes to recreate my favorite menu items.
They still serve some of the
original dishes from 1905, such as; Spanish Bean Soup, (which combines
sausage, garbanzo beans, and potatoes in beef stock); Arroz con Pollo,
(the classic chicken and rice dish); an authentic Cuban Sandwich; and the
1905 Salad, dressed with the family's special blend of fresh garlic,
oregano, wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Spanish olive oil.
Two of my favorite dishes that
I frequently make at home are; Lobster Columbia, which combines onion,
green peppers, garlic, tomato, chopped ham, sliced mushrooms, lobster and
shrimp; and Picadillo (Cuban Beef Hash) which includes ground beef,
onions, garlic, green peppers, olives and raisins among other ingredients.
In Sarasota, there is ample
outdoor sidewalk seating, which is great for people watching. Or, if you'd like
some eye-candy while you sit at the bar, bartender Stella is one of the best
reasons to get drunk during the day.
The Columbia is also the place where I had my first "Cuban Manhattan".
This one got left out of the book somehow, but it's easy to make. It's just like
a regular Manhattan, except you substitute rum for the bourbon. I'll have to
make sure that one gets included in our drinks section of the site.
After taking several photos of
Stella while she posed like a professional model (I think she's done this
before), I reluctantly pulled myself away from her, said adios to Sarasota and
made the 1 hour and 15 minutes drive North to Tampa's Ybor City.
Next stop - The original
Columbia Restaurant to check out the cigar factory and store. John paved the way
for me with a phone call to the store manager, Meylin Garcia, who gave me a
hearty welcome with a big smile. (Everybody is super-nice at both locations I
visited.)
Meylin was kind enough to
demonstrate how the in-store rollers make the cigars, since they did not have a
roller working while I visited on Saturday. There is usually a cigar roller
there Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I think Meylin is cuter than
the regular cigar roller though.
As I write this, I am smoking
the Gonzalez y
Martinez Torpedo Maduro accompanied by a Starbucks Frappuccino. It's
an excellent combination of a sweet drink with a full-bodied cigar that burns
perfectly with a nice white ash. This shows that the cigar was well-rolled with
quality tobacco. The wrapper is nice and dark, and the cigar is dressed with a
handsome red, black and gold band. Blue smoke permeates my home office while I
look at pictures of Stella and Meylin on a Sunday afternoon. Life ain't bad.
The Gonzalez y
Martinez brand made by The Columbia offers six different sizes, both in natural
and maduro for 12 cigars to choose from including; Churchill, Corona, Robusto,
Perfecto #1, Perfecto #2 and Torpedo. They can be purchased in Bundles of 25,
Boxes of 10, a sampler pack of 4, gift box of 3, or in singles.
Here's Meylin taking us through
the steps of creating their cigars.
The Columbia is one of
Florida's finest treasures and a must-experience for Spanish food lovers and
cigar smokers. Different locations offer flamenco dance performances, cigar bar
café, live jazz, tapas, spirits and cigars.
If you are in Sarasota or Tampa, be sure to visit The Columbia and tell them Cigar-Review.com
sent you. Visit their web site at www.columbiarestaurant.com.
Buy the Columbia Recipe Book with 178 recipes
