Celebration – Cuban Cuisine & Ice Cream in a Quaint Setting

Celebration, Florida is the Mayberry-esque town designed and developed by Disney. Celebration’s downtown is a small, walk-able, picturesque handful of shops, restaurants, and one hotel (aptly named the Celebration Hotel). This commercial area sits across the street from a darling small lake, a private park, and a lovely fountain. The surrounding homes are built in an early 1930’s Southern-style and sport perfectly manicured lawns. It’s all very Disney and feels more like the dream of a town than an actual town.

During my visit to Celebration last night I found two outstanding places to bring the kids for a lively dinner and tasty treats.

Welcome to the Columbia Restaurant
The aroma of good things cooking and a boisterous atmosphere welcomed us to the Columbia Restaurant. The ambiance was inviting, with Spanish wrought-iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, Spanish tiles adorning the walls, and warm-colored woodwork throughout. It seemed like a good choice for a family with two (noisy) children.

The Columbia has seven restaurants located throughout Florida, the original of which opened in 1905. To this day, the restaurant is still owned by its original founding family.

Bebidas
There were several cocktails to choose from but the Columbia is best-known for its mojitos and sangria. While my husband opted for a mojito rum drink with fresh lime, mint, and sugar cane – I ordered a coconut martini made with coconut rum, triple sec, and a lime-coconut flake rim. Both were beyond delicioso. Their wine menu included an extensive collection of Spanish wines as well.

The Salad…Oh the Salad!
I wouldn’t normally go on and on about a salad, but Columbia’s Original “1905” Salad is not your ordinary salad! Tossed tableside, it is made with iceberg lettuce (not usually my favorite), julienne of ham, a smoky Swiss cheese, tomato, flavorful green olives, grated Romano cheese, and an incredible homemade garlic dressing. While all of the food was good, this was by far the highlight of our meal.

Cuban and Spanish Cuisine
I have not eaten a lot of Cuban food beyond the occasional Cuban sandwich, and my experience with Spanish cuisine is limited to paella and tapas eaten in Barcelona. Nearly everything on the menu made my mouth water so instead of choosing just one thing, I opted for La Completa Cubana, a Cuban sampler of roast pork, boliche (tender beef stuffed with chorizo sausage), empanada, plantains, yucca, black beans, and yellow rice. It was all tasty, but the empanada and pan-fried plantains were my favorite items on my overstuffed plate.

My husband ordered the Cannelloni de Langosta “Setes Portes” – pasta with lobster, shrimp, and scallops served with a creamy lobster, sherry, and cheese sauce. It was not unpleasant but bland and too rich for my liking. He was so jealous of my order that he wound up stealing half my food off my plate!

Children’s Menu
Kids can choose from traditional macaroni and cheese or chicken fingers or the more adventurous can try a Cuban sandwich. Children with fancier tastes can even order a steak. All kids’ meals come with a fresh fruit cup or fries plus a juice or soda. My young son and daughter easily split one order of the mac and cheese, which, thankfully, was not a fancy-schmancy version of this kid-favorite.

Save Room for Dessert at Kilwin’s
The dessert menu at the Columbia looked delectable (White Chocolate Bread Pudding or Guava Cheesecake, anyone?). However, we had promised the kiddos dessert at Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream.

I was too full to eat another bite of food, but when I stepped into that candy shop filled with treats and ice creams aplenty, I couldn’t resist! I am not exaggerating when I say that the hot caramel sauce was the absolute best ice cream topping I have ever eaten. Ever. My butter pecan ice cream was delicious too, but seriously, I could eat that sauce off a shoe and it would taste good!

Celebrate Good Food in Celebration
I have always been curious about Celebration, Florida. Now that I have visited this quaint town I would recommend a visit, especially to dine at the Columbia Restaurant and indulge in some delectable treats at Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 21st, 2011 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Dining, Kissimmee Area. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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