Columbia Menu

Columbia Restaurant Review:

This is the cousin of the famous landmark Columbia Restaurant in Tampa (the first restaurant in the city to have air conditioning when it opened in 1905). The menu is a fun read in itself, with most entrées described in a paragraph of background and history. For example, we are told that Cannelloni de Langosta "7 Portes" comes from the 7 Portes Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain, and features tender cannelloni filled with Maine lobster, shrimp, pan-seared scallops and sautéed shallots blended with a sherry cream reduction, and smothered with a sherry cream Mornay cheese sauce and bits of lobster. In addition to seafood and steaks, the chicken and yellow rice is a signature, while the 1905 salad (so named in honor of the inaugural year) is still prepared tableside. This chef's salad comes with a homemade olive oil and vinegar-based dressing with garlic, lemon and herbs. Another favorite is sea bass Bilbao, a casserole created with sliced tomatoes, potatoes and onions, with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and lemon. The dressing is so popular it's sold for takeout, as is the sangría mix and signature brand coffee. The lunch menu features numerous tapas, including scallops Casimiro (scallops baked in a clay casserole with lemon butter and topped with seasoned bread crumbs and white wine). Other locations.