Columbia Restaurant
Warm Cuban Bread with Whipped Butter
Albondigas – Meatballs of Veal and Beef simmered in Catalan Tomato Sauce
Devil Crab Croquettes – Blue Crab, Cracker Crumbs, Paprika, Onions, Garlic
Empanadas de Picadillo – ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, onions, raisins, olives
Pollo Manchego – Boneless Chicken Breast, Bread Crumbs, Manchego, Sundried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil with Carrots and Green Beans, Citrus Sauce, “Good Rice”
Paella “Campesina” – Valencia Rice, Beef Tenderloin, Pork, Chicken, Chorizo, Green Beans
Brazo Gitano “Cien Anos” – Mazanilla Sherry flamed Spongecake soaked in syrup and topped with Meringue plus Strawberry Sauce
Pumpkin Flan
White Chocolate Bread Pudding – Le Segunda Central Bakery Cuban Bread soaked in Don Casimiro Classic Silver Rum Sauce
Billed on marketing paraphernalia as “Florida’s Oldest Restaurant” while even the branded butter dish pronounced them a “Gem of Spanish Restaurants” it was to a packed house on Thanksgiving night that my mother, aunt, and I entered Ybor City’s storied Columbia Restaurant and although a brief “Traditional Thanksgiving” prix-fixe was offered it was in the restaurant’s signature items that we instead showed interest, an eight plate order and far too much of their outstanding Cuban Bread proving mostly impressive, superlatives and branding aside.
Immense in size and dazzling in décor, with several rooms well worthy of exploration, it was in the central courtyard juxtaposing a small fountain that our trio was seated and perusing the multi-paged menu before asking a few questions it would not be long before a tower of tapas arrived – each of three appetizers well suited for sharing with the croquettes unfortunately a bit oily despite filling ample with crab while both the tender meatballs and sweet-meets-savory empanadas were exceedingly delicious, the later amongst the most intricate and well-stuffed I’ve ever seen.
Moving onward to mains after a sizable delay due to the expected preparation time of proper paella suffice it to say that even split amongst two persons the portion of the rice dish was sizable and although some of the rice could have stood to be a bit more crisp it would be difficult to find fault in any of the meats, the bold chorizo lightly spiced and the chicken shockingly tender despite being all-white meat – a similar quality found in a plate of Pollo Manchego that also proved big enough to share as the aged Spanish cheese fought for top billing with boldly flavored tomatoes atop a bed of lightly perfumed rice.
Undoubtedly a place where dessert should not be missed it was in a dainty seasonal flan harkening dreamwhip pumpkin pie that my mother indulged and, with my aunt investing in bread pudding that saw two slabs of Cuban bread saturated in boozy cream mellowed by pockets of white chocolate, I opted to go for dinner and a show – the tableside flames of Sherry licking the meringue atop spongecake and strawberries with dramatic effect both in theater and flavor, each bite a balance of sweetness and smoke atop booze and butter that mustn’t be missed.
http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ybor.asp
