Columbia Restaurant ★ 4.5
Columbia in Ybor City has plated 1905 Salad, paella and Spanish-Cuban classics since 1905, Florida's oldest restaurant under five Gonzmart family generations.
History
The 1905 Salad was created at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City by maitre d' Tony Noriega in 1934, named for the restaurant's 1905 founding year. The salad became the Columbia's signature dish over five Gonzmart family generations and is now served at all six Florida Columbia locations. Tampa Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times rank it as the city's most-served signature plate. The Columbia keeps the dressing recipe secret and trains waitstaff to toss tableside in a chilled wood bowl.
Common allergens: Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 200g sweet ham, julienned
- 200g Swiss cheese, julienned
- 50g grated Romano cheese
- 100g pimento-stuffed green olives, halved
- 1 large tomato, diced
- Dressing: 120ml olive oil
- 60ml white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Let sit 10 minutes to let garlic infuse.
- Put lettuce in a chilled wooden bowl. Add ham, Swiss, olives and tomato in concentric rings on top.
- Sprinkle the grated Romano evenly over the top.
- At the table, pour two-thirds of the dressing over and toss with two wooden spoons until every leaf is coated.
- Taste, add more dressing if needed, and serve immediately with Cuban bread on the side.
Tip from the editors. Toss at the table, not in the kitchen. The presentation and the Romano-cheese aroma at the table are half the dish.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat 1905 salad
More cities are in research. Want 1905 salad covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.