Tag: Tampa

I have found myself writing about the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor Coty again. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Tampa and every time I visit I try to have one meal there.

As with all my previous visits I made sure to order a pitcher of sangria. This time I got the Blanco Sangria that was made table side.

  

It was made with CR Generations Sauvignon Blanco (this is wine specially made for Columbia), brandy, and fresh citrus juices. This visit the sangria was put in a beautifully decorated pitcher.

The sangria was sweet but not overly sweet. It just tastes so fresh to me. Maybe because I get to watch all the ingredients come together. I wanted to share a video I took, so check it out on my twitter account (@GatorGirl_swamp).

Like my other visit I made sure I ordered the famous 1905 salad. The tangy dressing that is on this salad is extremely addicting. When it combines with the cheese, ham, olives, and tomatoes I feel like I am in heaven.

I love the fact they make this table side too, especially when I can tell my waiter to add extra cheese. Check out the video  I took on twitter (@GatorGirl_swamp).

The last time I visited I order the Queso Fundido. I enjoyed the cheese, olives, and tomato sauce so much I ordered it again. I loved that it came with toasted Cuban bread slices. They added crunch to the soft cheese mixture.

Now up to this point I have written about all of the items that I had before. I loved them all so much I wanted to share them again. I did order two other items that I never tried before.

The first dish was the Cakes de Cangrejo. These are large crab cakes that are loaded with fresh blue crabmeat and grilled. The crabmeat was extremely sweet. They drizzled a passion fruit aioli sauce over the crab cakes. This added a little extra sweetness to the crab.

For the first time ever I left room for some desserts. I tried a little homemade flan. Their flan was a milky custard with a dark caramel sauce. It was a delicious cross between custard and cheesecake.

The other dessert I ordered was the white chocolate bread pudding. This was the perfect choice after the saltiness of the 1905 salad. They use their fresh Cuban bread, white chocolate, and it is covered with a rum sauce.

It came with 2 slices so it was perfect for sharing. The bread pudding was super sweet but still slightly creamy. I think it was the rum sauce that kept me going back for more bites. I would recommend that everyone try this dessert.

I love Columbia Restaurant. I have written about them two other times and think I will continue to write about them every time I visit. I encourage everyone to check them out at http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

When in Tampa, a stop at the Taco Bus (which is actually a converted school bus) for authentic Mexican food is a must.  What started out as just a food truck has grown into 5 different locations around the Tampa area.

Their menu is quiet large and includes gluten -free and vegan options. You can choose from classics like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas or  try a torta (which is beans, filling, veggies, and cheese on fresh bread) or a tostada (a crunchy flat tortilla loaded with beans, filling, veggies, and cheese).

When you know what you want, just walk up to the window and order.

I wanted to try something different, instead of just getting tacos. I went for the tostada. It was almost like a taco salad, just on the flat tortillas instead of a shell bowl. The fresh fried tortillas were very light and would be wonderful on their own with just a little cinnamon and sugar. I also made sure I got a side of their refried beans and Mexican rice.

While many customers get their food to go, there are plenty of seats for you to sit and enjoy your food while it is still nice and hot. I wanted to make sure I had the full Taco Bus experience so I stayed to eat.

If you want great Mexican food that is prepared fast and well then you need to stop by the Taco Bus.  taco-bus.com

Enjoy!

T