Tampa Restaurant Wins The Best Cuban Sandwich In Florida

A Tampa restaurant wins the best Cuban sandwich in Florida.  There are so many great places in the bay area to get a good Cuban.  But who has the best?  Well, the votes are in and it's right here in the Tampa Bay Area.   Southern Living has recognized Columbia Restaurant as the best Cuban Sandwich in Florida in a recent article. The magazine released its South's Best awards, asking readers to rate their favorite places.  The winner for the best Cuban Sandwich was Ybor City's own, Columbia Restaurant.   The article states is all in the bread when making the best sandwich.  Columbia uses bread supplied from La Segunda Central Bakery. ​To see the entire list of winners CLICK HERE Columbia Restaurant History Columbia Restaurant is Tampa's oldest restaurant.  It started in 1905, the name of their very famous salad.  Dec. 17, 1903,  Spanish-Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. and his four sons arrived in Tampa, FL.   Looking for a better life, they opened the Columbia Saloon, which became the Columbia Restaurant in 1905. ​Over 120 years, the original restaurant has expanded to an entire city block and is now the largest Spanish restaurant in the world.  It should be noted, the Columbia has seven locations in Florida and is still run by family members today.  I love me a good Cuban.  A traditional is made with real Cuban bread, yellow mustard, sliced pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese and sliced pickles. Some interesting facts about the Cuban sandwiches according to Foodimentary.com:  The sandwich originated Key West and Ybor City, two communities of Cuban immigrants.    The Cuban is the “signature sandwich of the city of Tampa.”  It was developed in Cuba for employees of factories, and when the manufacturing of cigars was moved to Tampa, the sandwich followed. Columbia's Cuban Sandwich One of the things that I love about The Columbia is that they post their recipes right online.  First, let me say I have tried to create their 1905 salad a million times, even buying their bottled dressing, but it's never the same.  Now, according to their site, their Cuban contains no mayo,  no lettuce or tomato and no turkey.   They say a true Tampa Cuban is layered from bottom to top: ham, roast pork, salami, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.  Secondly, for a good sandwich, the better the quality of the ingredients, and good bread is essential.  La Segunda Central Bakery in Ybor City still supplies the Columbia to this day.  Lastly, the sandwich should not be overstuffed with ham, but carefully proportioned. This makes me so hungry, I think I'm stopping by on my way home today.  Yum!       [select-listicle listicle_id="451752" syndication_name="5-best-places-for-happy-hour-in-tampa" description="yes"]