Never have I ever..... been to Tampa, FL. Never have I ever... been to Florida. Never have I ever...... traveled to any sort of tropical or hot destination!
Sad to say, all of the above was true - but only up until recently! This July I was incredibly fortunate to attend a conference in Tampa. Having a bit of anxiety about it, though I love to travel, you are never really sure what to expect until you get there, so I was wonderfully blown away with everything from the experiences, to the food, to the sites, and so much more, that I just had to share some of my trip! But first, I want to talk about Columbia Restaurant!
If you're in the Tampa area, first and foremost you want to check out Columbia Restaurant. This iconic business holds the title as Florida's oldest restaurant, which was founded by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr, a Spanish-Cuban immigrant, in 1905 and is still owned by the same family today. They are particularly known, among other things, for their legendary1905 Salad and the iconic Cuban Sandwich.
With a few locations now around the Tampa area, the original is in Ybor City (a neighborhood of Tampa), and boasts 12 dining rooms, over 52,000sq ft of space, and can seat up to 1,700 customers! I was lucky enough to get a seat in the original Cafe Dining Room which contains the impressive original bar from the 1903 Saloon Columbia, the precursor to the 1905 Columbia Restaurant.
First off, with most orders you get a small loaf of Cuban Bread which is a warm, crusty white loaf -think smaller, more squared off French baguette - and interestingly the recipe uses a small amount of fat, like lard. You can tear into this piece of heaven in loaf form as you peruse the menu and soak up the atmosphere. For lunch I felt I absolutely had to order the classic1905 Salad and the Cuban Sandwich (thankfully, I was able to order the 1/2 size of each!) and because I couldn't say it any better myself I'll let the fantastic menu descriptions do the talking:
Columbia's Original "1905" Salad®
The Columbia’s legendary salad tossed tableside. Crisp iceberg lettuce with julienne of baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Lea & Perrins ® Worcestershire sauce and our famous garlic dressing. The award-winning salad won honors from USA Today as “One of 10 Great Places to Make a Meal Out of a Salad.” The signature salad, named for the year the restaurant was founded in Tampa’s Latin district of Ybor City, was inspired by immigrants to the Cigar City: Romano cheese from the Sicilians and the famous garlic dressing used by Cubans to marinate fresh roast pork, plus Florida tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, julienne of baked ham and Swiss cheese.
The Original Cuban Sandwich
Named "Best Sandwich in Florida" by Food & Wine Magazine. A Tampa treasure! The "Mixto," as it was known in the beginning, was created in the 1890s for the cigar workers as they walked to and from work. The sandwiches underwent changes as immigrants from different countries came to Ybor City. The City of Tampa was like the sandwich, a mixture of cultures and food. The Spanish brought the fine ham, the Sicilians the Genoa salami, the Cuban the mojo-marinated roast pork, the Germans and the Jewish the Swiss cheese, pickle and mustard. Put it all together between sliced, freshly baked Tampa Cuban bread from La Segunda Central Bakery and life is great. Today we are using the original 1915 recipe of Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., with the same proportions of meat and each ingredient layered atop the other, placed on Cuban bread and brushed with butter on top and pressed to a crispy finish.
Let me first say, these dishes would not normally be the items I would gravitate to. I'm not the biggest fan of baked ham, and as a prominent ingredient in both the salad and the sandwich, I usually would have over looked both of these. But, wow - am I ever glad I tried them! From the first few bites, the combination of flavours and textures just grabbed me. The right amount of saltiness, crunch and crisp, creaminess, and sweetness in both the cold salad and hot sandwich, - the balance was just perfection. When the plate was first brought to me, I was nervous that maybe I ordered too much because I wasn't too hungry, but it was surprisingly light, yet still filling - honestly it was the perfect amount! (As I sat there I sarcastically thought to myself - it's almost as though they know what they're doing after 119 years!)
Not only was the food worth the trip, but the service and atmosphere was like being transported back in time. Taking in the beautiful woodwork, the stunning colourful ceramics, photos and decor, and all the well-dressed servers in ties. Sitting at the bar, I wasn't sure if I would get the same level of service as sitting at a table, but I felt so taken care of by the team working who were so friendly and warm, and it felt like I was being welcomed as a family friend.
The thing I love about food is its ability to story tell and connect us with other people, places, and times, and these dishes and the atmosphere, did not disappoint. You truly don't know where the restaurant ends and the family and their local community begins as the they are so intertwined. As I ate, I continued to read the menu which was absolutely full of interesting tidbits, history, and stories about the restaurant, dishes, and Hernandez family:
Iceberg lettuce got its name from the method of shipping, as they would pack layers of ice with the lettuce to ship it across country on trains to Tampa. When they would arrive, the heads of lettuce would be as cold as 'icebergs', and it became the marketing call 'come and get your Icebergs!'
Baseball legend Babe Ruth often visited the Columbia Restaurant in the 1920s-30s, and love the New York Strip Sirloin, which is still brushed with their classic '1905 dressing', which is used on their salads.
Key Lime Pie originated in Florida, down in the south a Key West. When great-grandmother Carmen Piloto Hernandez moved from Key West to Ybor City she brought with her a Key Lime tree to plant to continue making Key lime pie for the family. Fast forward to today, and the same simile recipe is used in the restaurant for you to enjoy today!
With 7 different locations around the Tampa area, including cafes in both the Tampa International Airport and the Tampa Bay History Centre, you might not need to travel specifically to Ybor City to experience this gem, but using the free TECO Line Street car you can get from downtown Tampa to Ybor so easily and only in about 15minutes, and it's worth it to see the original location.
If that's not enough and want a piece of Columbia Restaurant at home with you, they also have a line of products you can purchase at their online or instore gift shop, including a gorgeous line of their iconic ceramics, cookbook, food items, and more!
Though I was only there for just over an hour, when I sat back and finished my meal I felt much more connected to the history, people, and community of this area of Tampa. Honestly, I was so happy I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to try the free streetcar, travel to a new area of Tampa, and try new dishes - so much so that I was sad to leave this gem, as I would love to be able to go back on a regular basis to try other dishes, share this amazing restaurant with my friends, and celebrate my own family gatherings.
But I need to leave something for my next trip to the Tampa area, right?
Comments