3.19 Columbia Restaurant

After the baseball debacle on Thursday, I went to the Columbia Restaurant, in St. Armand's Circle, which had been my favorite Sarasota eating establishment last spring. The Columbia features Spanish and Cuban food. Originally founded in 1905 - think about how impressive it is for a restaurant to stay in business over 100 years - there are seven locations, operating primarily in Central Florida.


I once again enjoyed my favorite meal at Columbia - beginning with their historic "1905 Salad" which they toss at your table. It's made with lettuce, tomatoes, julienne ham, swiss cheese and grated Romano cheese, and tossed with their garlic dressing.


For an entrée, I ate one of the many house specialties - Red Snapper Alicante. The snapper (the King of Gulf fish) is baked with onions in a rich brown gravy, topped with sliced almonds and served with yellow rice, fried eggplant, and two jumbo fried shrimp. What I really love about this dish is the unique brown sauce and the incredibly fresh fish.