Columbia Café, operated by HMSHost at Tampa International Airport, is sharing over 107 years of famed flavorful home-cooking and Tampa’s prevalent Cuban influence with travelers. Classic with modern nuances, guests experience an aura of old-world charm when they enter Columbia Café, like being welcomed into someone’s home and treated as a guest while enjoying traditional Cuban cuisine.
Guests can choose from an array of small plates, either to share or to start off a meal. Options include marinated olives, black bean cakes served with fresh guacamole, queso fundido baked in Rioja tomato sauce and served with toasted Cuban bread, and Columbia’s signature empanadas.
For something more satisfying before a long flight, travelers can opt for larger plates such as the classic Cuban go-to chicken and rice or “Ybor,” a traditional dish including a quarter chicken baked with yellow rice, peppers, and onions. Other options include chicken salteado with sautéed chicken, chorizo, and a splash of red wine, and picadillo “criollo” made with ground beef braised with onions, peppers, raisins, olives, and capers.
Columbia’s finely-tuned breakfast menu serves as a refreshing differentiation from a typical run-of-the-mill breakfast selection. Popular among early morning travelers, the menu features Spanish and Cuban influenced breakfast dishes like made-to-order Spanish omelettes with chorizo, breakfast sandwiches on Cuban bread, and the Cuban version of French toast called terrejas.