More than 100 years old and located in the cigar capital of the world, the Columbia restaurant’s historic Ybor City location is the original restaurant from which the other Florida locations were born. The restaurant has also been awarded the national prize for best Cubano sandwich for a number of years.

I first visited the Columbia at their Sarasota location on a trip to Longboat Key. I was so taken with their menu and atmosphere, I simply had to see where it all began. So on a walking tour of Ybor City, Tampa’s world-famous Latin quarter, my husband and I stopped by for lunch.

What we tried:

We started off with an appetizer selection of black bean cakes which were much more succulent than either of us expected. In fact, we wouldn’t mind heading back sometime and filling up on a double order of those little num nums. They were that good. David had a fish sandwich with plantain chips that was fine, fresh and perfectly respectable for the basic fish sandwich that it was. The real star of the show however was the crispy breaded eggplant Riojana. If you think you’ve tried every spectacular eggplant dish on the planet, get ready for some full, party-in-your-mouth flavor. It’s really a killer entrée.

What we noticed:

The history and charm of this century-plus-old establishment really shines through, particularly in their courtyard seating area and during their evening cultural dance performances. If you have a chance to receive a facility-wide tour from Joe, their goodwill ambassador, don’t pass it up. Joe’s been with the family at the Ybor City location for fifty years and has had his share of celebrity sightings and customer experiences. The private rooms of the Columbia all have unique features and artwork, including some elaborately-decorated tile.

Editor’s note: Ybor City is one of several walking tours in Tampa Bay that are worth your time, and lunch at this establishment is not to be missed while you’re in that part of town. Also of note on the menu are the house sangria, the 1905 salad and of course, their award-winning Cubano.

Photo Credits: The images in this article were photographed by the Trek Hound team.

I had never heard of this restaurant ’til a recent visit to Phoenix.  I had been hearing from a friend about an amazing salmon dish included on their menu.  He couldn’t use enough positive words to describe it. So, when I was in Phoenix, we included dinner at Charleston’s, and being a big fan of salmon, there was no question about what I’d be ordering…

The menu varies a bit based on location and availability of ingredients. Happily, the aforementioned salmon, listed as Short Smoked Salmon under Specialties, is on the menu at every restaurant! The flavor was indeed unbelievable; portion size perfect, and it was perfectly prepared. I’m not usually a very slow diner, but the flavor of this meal just demanded savoring each bite and making it last. The fish came nested on a wonderful cucumber dill salad and included Honey Dijon sauce and a side. When salad is served before the meal — Caesar or House — it includes a hot, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth croissant.

Prices are reasonable (mid-range); ambience comfortable; service exceptional. All in all, a pretty memorable dining experience.

There are only 15 locations (so far) in 5 states. Having been founded in Oklahoma, that state has the most locations at 8. Still, if you find yourself in Arizona, Indiana, Nebraska or Forth Worth, Texas, consider Charleston’s for dinner.

Photo credit: Virtual Ern

It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Phoenix. When it comes to food, first thoughts lean toward Tex-Mex or Mexican. Decisions are not easy.  However, having a local help with the picking makes all the difference. My first meal in Phoenix was at Manuel’s on Cave Creek.

Manuel’s is a mid-priced restaurant, has 7 locations in and around Phoenix, and was voted the Best Neighborhood Restaurant in azcentral.com’s 2009 Reader’s Choice.

I was quite hungry having traveled all day. Chips and a very tasty fresh salsa were delivered immediately. Manuel’s doesn’t skimp on the salsa. They keep it coming for chips AND for the meal. For dinner, I enjoyed a Rolled Quesadilla with extremely flavorful beef.  The portion was generous and included sour cream and guacamole. I enjoyed this quesadilla both at dinner and the following day at lunch.

If you’re in Phoenix, know you want local flavor and can’t decide on a restaurant, I can tell you that you won’t be disappointed if you dine at Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina.

Photo credit: naotakem

What I love is when a recommended restaurant lives up to the recommendation. I’ve been hearing about P.F. Chang’s China Bistro for a while now…in t.v. shows, from friends, from family.  The nearest location to home is well over two hours away.  So, on a recent trip to Phoenix, I was happy to finally have a meal at P.F. Chang’s.  We visited the mothership location in Scottsdale, and there was nothing disappointing about the experience.

Our meal started with the very popular Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  Then, we sampled two meals served family style with white or brown rice.  The two entrees were Chang’s Spicy Chicken (P.F. Chang’s take on General Tso’s Chicken) and Orange Peel Chicken. Both were spiced to both our tastes and there was adequate not only  for dinner but for lunch the following day!  Delicious meal. Two thumbs up for both entrees AND the lettuce wraps!

Of note is the large number of gluten free items on the menu, including a recently added gluten free beer. Service is spectacular. Ambience is warm.

Visit P.F. Chang’s website to find locations, see the menu, make reservations, order take-out, see the new line of P.F Chang entrees in your grocery’s freezer section.

Photo credit: wolfgrins

As a rule, I don’t tout chain restaurants.  There’s too much room for inconsistency from store to store.  I believe I’ve found an exception.  I recently had the opportunity to dine at Texas Roadhouse in two different states.   The quality was consistent.  It was fun…unlimited peanuts in the shell and an invite to drop those shells to the floor (warning to those with peanut allergies).  The food was fresh and delish — I had pulled pork once and a remarkably tender and perfectly prepared sirloin on the other occasion.   The service was great — friendly, attentive wait staff, and a quality check at the end of the meal.

Above and beyond  the dining amenities, a notable plus for the budget wise is the list of 10 meals offered for 7.99 during the week for early diners. Hours vary by location.

All-in-all Texas Roadhouse is an enjoyable dining experience.  I have no complaints and look forward to my next visit, no matter where I may be.

Photo credit: BKM_BR

Recently, my sister and I went to Florida to celebrate her birthday.  We have a 92-year-old uncle who lives there, and any trip to Florida includes a visit to Uncle Frank.  Similarly, any visit with Uncle Frank includes a meal out.  This time was no different.  I did not know there was a robust Amish community in Sarasota, but there is.  Having grown up in Northeastern Ohio, I know a little something about Amish.  I know they know how to cook!

After dinner at the nearby Dutch Heritage House, we went down the street to Yoder’s and waited in line for the opportunity to indulge in a piece of Yoder’s pie.  It was worth the wait.  Regina and I split a piece of chocolate pecan pie.  It was amazing, and one piece was adequate for the both of us, because the slice was huge!  I’ll bet they don’t get more than five pieces out of one pie.

Dessert isn’t the only thing on the menu at Yoder’s, but if dessert is on your mind and you’re in Sarasota, don’t take that appetite anywhere else.

Editor’s note: Just up the highway from Sarasota is the city of Tampa with many things to see and do, including the Lowry Park Zoo, Busch Gardens, the Dali Museum and more.

Photo credit:  TheSeafarer

Just outside of Quito, Ecuador in the suburb of Cumbaya is a quaint and welcoming restaurant called the Cactus Café. We had a chance to try out the menu on recent trip there. Read on to find out about our experience and reactions.

Cactus Café offers an international menu in a casually elegant setting. A wood fire oven for pizza and open area for Friday jazz nights are just a couple of the extra touches you’ll notice. We had a chance to meet the owner, Stefano, and his wife Janine. We sat down with them to enjoy a special tasting menu. Here’s what we had.

• Beef ravioli with a mushroom cream sauce.
• Prosciutto wood fire thin crust pizza
• Grilled salmon
• Salad
• Red and white house wines
• Tiramisu
• Cheesecake
• Cappuccino

We enjoyed everything we had and found the ravioli with mushroom cream sauce to be particularly fantastic, as was the tiramisu. The atmosphere at Cactus Café is both relaxing and elegant. Apparently, others agree as the owners have started franchising it at several locations across Quito, with a second smaller satellite restaurant in Cumbaya as well.

While I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, I think it would be particularly attractive to expats and tourists looking for a relaxing break from the rigors of travel or an international move. For more information on the Cactus Café, check out the web site of this international restaurant.

Image Credit: Neeta Lind For more Ecuador images, visit the photo galleries of our sister site, Pictures of Travel Places.

This post was submitted to the January 20, 2010 edition of Wanderfood Wednesday.