Even living in Tampa for 4 years while going to college at USF, I never understood the significance of the Latin
culture in the makeup of Tampa. We used to go to eat sometimes with an exchange student from Columbia. We
went to the little family type places where only locals ate. Very good. Only Spanish was spoken. The port of
Tampa was very big business back then and the cigar business had been replaced by mechanization I guess. We
had many Latin students in my classes. The college was out in the middle of nowhere which is hard to believe
now as it is so built up. Nancy and I decided to go over to Tampa for 3 or 4 days to learn as much as we could
about the history of the Tampa Bay area. It was a very worthwhile trip.
culture in the makeup of Tampa. We used to go to eat sometimes with an exchange student from Columbia. We
went to the little family type places where only locals ate. Very good. Only Spanish was spoken. The port of
Tampa was very big business back then and the cigar business had been replaced by mechanization I guess. We
had many Latin students in my classes. The college was out in the middle of nowhere which is hard to believe
now as it is so built up. Nancy and I decided to go over to Tampa for 3 or 4 days to learn as much as we could
about the history of the Tampa Bay area. It was a very worthwhile trip.
Tampa Ybor City
Back in 1965, I took Nancy for a big date to the Columbia Restaurant. I had $3.00 to spend and saved up to
pay the $6.00 it would cost. I had called ahead and gotten the prices. Chicken and yellow rice was $1.95, flan
to split was a dollar, tax and the tip made $6.00. That was all I had. About half away through the meal, 4 guys
came up playing the violins and I had to give them a dollar tip, which left me short a dollar. Nancy had to loan
me a dollar. Must not have been too bad as she married me anyway. It was a little more expensive these
days..
pay the $6.00 it would cost. I had called ahead and gotten the prices. Chicken and yellow rice was $1.95, flan
to split was a dollar, tax and the tip made $6.00. That was all I had. About half away through the meal, 4 guys
came up playing the violins and I had to give them a dollar tip, which left me short a dollar. Nancy had to loan
me a dollar. Must not have been too bad as she married me anyway. It was a little more expensive these
days..
The was started in 1905 back when Nancy was a baby.
Flan before and after.
The entire restaurant is like an antique shop and a history lesson.
The Columbia museum is next door.
These are the guys that caused me to be short of cash to pay my bill.
Early (pre Seminole and pre European inhabitants.
We went to the Ybor City state park which was very good. It showed a lot about the early immigrants and how they interacted. Tampa was very
small and they were brought in from Cuba and Spain due to continued labor strikes among the cigar workers in Cuba.
small and they were brought in from Cuba and Spain due to continued labor strikes among the cigar workers in Cuba.
Huge oven for baking Cuban bread daily. There is a sprig of palmetto
frond laid on top which makes the split along the top.
frond laid on top which makes the split along the top.