Tampa/Veendam and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel

[rex523]

I grew up in Tampa and the Columbia has been a Tampa institution since the early 1900's. I just went to their web site for the first time and was a bit disappointed - the site makes it look touristy which it is not. The Cuban cuisine is famous - I can definitely recommend the Snapper Alicante and the paella that Peaches likes!

 

You still see the old Cuban families of Tampa - who have been there a century - celebrating family occasions, with the same waiter they have had for years. That is one of my favorite things about the place - men who have worked there for 20, 30, 40 years and are highly professional. As the website says, the Gonzmart family has owned the place since the beginning and still run it, and run it well. The other restaurants in the chain maintain the food and service standards, but the atmosphere at the 7th Avenue location is unforgettable.

 

The decor is kind of Old Havana meets Pirates of the Caribbean and, yes, there are many beautiful tiles.

 

You may also want to check out Bern's, a nationally ranked steak house that looks like a New Orleans brothel but has superb cuisine and service. Their wine cellar is one of the most comprehensive in the US.

 

If you have two nights, do both!

 

Off topic, but if you are an art lover the Museum of Fine Arts in St Petersburg is one of the finest small museums I have ever visited, and the Salvador Dali Museum is a few miles away. Enjoy Tampa!

[peaches from georgia]

Thank you, Rex, for the history. I did read further on the site also. My family has been living in Sarasota on Longboat Key since 1965, so we started going to the Columbia on St. Armands almost since it opened. But, I agree, the Ybor City flagship restaurant is the most authentic representation of the Cuban culture and it will be very special to dine there. I'm sure Berns has excellent beef but that you can find many places. That is not the attraction that a restaurant with a great history of another culture and country is, at least to me.

 

What a shame the travel restrictions to Cuba are, for both them and us. Cruising to Havana would be fantastic.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

The DW and I have visited Tampa four times in the last three years. We have travelled in our RV and parked at the HAL open lot without incident, also used the MacDill AFB secure parking area for RVs without any issues while on a HAL cruise.

 

The HardRock Casino is a class 3 operation, low payouts, but they will take your money as fast as any Las Vegas casino. We have not stayed at the hotel, but the facilities looked very nice. After visiting the casino we opted to a quick drive to the East coast for a cruise to the Atlantis casino complex. Won enough to pay for the cruise.

 

Food in Tampa is best served in the old part of town in Ybor City. The old Columbian eatery was outstanding with its Cuban fair, but very expensive. Berns was the most expensive steak I have ever had in the world, other than Denmark (1980-1984) where you needed a bank loan for a nice steak dinner. At Berns you make a separate reservation for dessert upstairs after dinner. I would go again if staying in our RV at Lazy Days RV Rally park.

[sail7seas]

Thank you, Rex, for wonderful post. We shall try both restaurants. We have three nights to enjoy nice dinners in Tampa. I also very much appreciate your recommending the Dali Museum. It sounds wonderful. What a treat to be able to view that. It's going to the top of our list of 'what to do'.

 

RaffinOrgan....I know what you mean about costly European dinners. We, too, have paid some astronomical prices for fine dinners all over Europe. But.....those memories are so worth it.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

RaffinOrgan....I know what you mean about costly European dinners. We, too, have paid some astronomical prices for fine dinners all over Europe. But.....those memories are so worth it.

 

At the time we were living in Denmark. Easy to go native for four years.

[sail7seas]

Raffin.....What a wonderful experience.

 

 

We visited Copenhagen three times and adore that city. So walkable and friendly. WONDERFUL food....

 

The last time we were there, we boarded Statendam to do a 13 day European Capitals cruise. One of the best we ever took. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary aboard during that cruise and had a phenomenal party aboard

 

Ahhh.....the memories.

[rex523]

S7S, you're welcome! You will love the Dali Museum.

 

RaffinOrgan is right about the dessert room at Bern's - you will want to do that, too.

 

The Tampa Area has a good art scene - you may also want to investigate the Tampa Museum - mostly contemporary art and ancient art - and the Henry B. Plant Museum. Both are downtown, and the Plant museum is in the old Tampa Bay Hotel, now part of the University of Tampa. It was the first building built in the 20th Century to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is period items from the early 1900's and antiques that were the original furnishings of the hotel. If you are there at Christmastime they do candlelight tours.

 

About a ninety minute drive south is the Ringling Museum in Sarasota - a great collection of Baroque art, circus memorabilia and the Ringling mansion, built and furnished in the Venetian Baroque style. All these places should have plenty of information on the web.

 

I'll look forward to your review! I'm leaving on the Veendam two weeks from Saturday.

[sail7seas]

I'm so appreciate your help, Rex. I've printed your posts so I can do a little research and 'pre-planning' for us.

 

 

Hope you have a great time on Veendam and I'll look forward to your review. Though our cruise is still 2 months off, we are very much looking forward to returning to Veendam. We haven't cruised her in about 4+ years and always liked that ship. It'll be good to return.

[johnnycruise]

johnnycruise: Thank you but I am referring to Tampa.....Not FLL.

I guess "TAMPA" in the subject line should have been a clue:p

[sail7seas]

:) Thank you for trying to help. I know you meant well and I appreciate your trying to assist me.

[Cracker Ken]

Sail7Seas - I'm glad to see that you managed to get reservations confirmed at the Marriott Waterside. Beautiful place. I went to a trade seminar there a month ago and was able to get a look inside the hotel. Excellent.

 

While the Hard Rock Hotel is really nice, and very new, it's basically an island, in that there's nothing else to do or see in that corner of town. There are bad areas of town all around the hotel. They have their own police agency there, since it is an indian reservation. I wouldn't even want to park my car outside that hotel over night (I retired from the Sheriff's Office that handles that area - I know). They do have a parking garage at this location. I don't know how secure it is. Since you were able to get the Marriott, this is a non-issue.

 

Some time back, it might have even been on the old boards, we communicated about Tampa when you were originally checking on alternatives to the Marriott Waterside, and we mentioned restaurants (myself and some other posters). I echo the other posters recommendation of Bern's Steakhouse. You have to go there. I've been there several times over the past 25 years. Never a disappointment. President's of the United States have eaten there. Governors, mayors, movie stars (Mickey Rooney was eating near us in the desert room one evening), business men and women, judges, "high rollers" and others frequent this place. The variety of steaks, sizes, weights, and doneness levels available is almost overwhelming. The wine list is about the size of a large dictionary (no kidding). They have huge salt water fish tanks in the back. If you want fresh fish, you get fresh fish. Your steak is cut after you order it. It's an amazing operation with excellent, well trained, professional waiters, many who have been there for a long time. They will offer you a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar when you are done with dinner - DO IT. After you are through with the tour, they will take you to the dessert room upstairs, if you have made reservations (which the waiter will make for you during dinner). The menu of desserts and dessert coffee's and drinks is extensive, and the atmosphere is intimate. Note: If you get an idea as to which night you want to eat there, make reservations as soon as you can. Actually, it isn't too early to do so now. They have a web page where you can get phone numbers for reservations - http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/ . I strongly suggest early reservations.

 

Yes, go to the Columbia Restaurant too. That's a really neat old building with great atmosphere. The previous poster from Tampa said it all. I also like the Valencia Garden Restaurant on W. Kennedy Blvd. Lots of locals go there (me too, I love it). The Valencia has about the same type of food, and they are famous for their Paella. The Columbia should be a real treat for you. It does attract tourist, but for good reason. The Valencia Garden has few tourist, but it's a very nice place. By the way, the Columbia is only one block S. from the Eastern terminus of the street car line at 21st St and 8th Ave. The Columbia is between 21st and 22nd St. on 7th Ave. Despite the best efforts of the Tampa Police, I don't recommend walking the streets in that area at night. A cab from the Marriott to the Columbia might be a good idea. Every cab driver in town knows where these restaurants are, without giving them the address.

 

For those who were wondering about the parking around the HAL terminal, I have a lot of pictures of the lots and the area on my photo page at the Yahoo link in my signature block. Go to the "Tampa, Port of" album.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ken

[sail7seas]

Cracker Ken......

 

 

You have a good memory to recall our 'previous conversation' re:

Tampa. I printed it out and have referred back to it several times already (and will be again before we go). It was so full of information.....as is your current message.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and being so generous to share all of this valuable info.

 

When folks say "Do your research" meaning I should be going to the official web site of Seminole etc, they are correct. But that only gives the 'official' info.

 

Coming to this site and asking the questions I asked gave me a treasure trove of info I would NEVER have gotten anywhere else. IMO Doing research means inquiring/reading/searching for info from many sources INCLUDING here.

 

I am so very appreciative for your help. It will make our stay in Tampa very special. We won't be wasting precious time trotting over to a place that no longer holds any interest for us. We can now spend our time at places like the Dali Museum which will so much more pleasant.

 

We will be trying, this week, to get reservations at Bern's. (Thank you for the link.) DH and I would love it there, I am sure. We will choose between your other suggestions for our other evenings. Valencia Garden and Columbia both sound great.

 

I am now very much looking forward to our stays in Tampa and thank all of you who helped with great info for generously sharing.

[Roadwork]

Like CrackerKen I highly recomment Bern's. As others have said don't miss the dessert room, it is my wife's favorite.

 

The Columbia is not only good for dinner but lunch also. You may want to consider that. The area is safer during the day, at least it appears that way.

[Cracker Ken]

Roadwork - Great idea. If Sails goes to Columbia during the day, she could even take the street car from the front door of the Marriott, almost all the way (within a block) of Columbia. It's safe around there during the day (the street car ends at 21st St, in front of the Sheriff's Operations Center). That would be fun, and it's a lot cheaper than a taxi. They could even get off and on the street car, and maybe check out the Channelside District and the Florida Aquarium.

 

Ken

[sail7seas]

About how far a distance is from Marriott Waterside to Columbia? (Miles? Time by taxi? By the trolley?) Thanks so much for all your help.

[Cracker Ken]

I'm not exactly sure about mileage. My best guess is 2-3 miles, both by taxi and street car. Mapquest says it's 2.59 miles, and that sounds accurate. I have been all over that area for many years, but never really paid much attention to mileage. Time, I'd say 5-10 minutes weekday, a little less on the weekend. The taxi might be quicker than the street car, because the street car makes stops at it's normal stops along the way. The street cars in Tampa are relatively new, clean, and not crowded. Very little, if any, riff-raff riding the cars. The street car line takes you E. from the hotel along the S. end of the Tampa business district, down to the Channelside District where the cruise ship terminals (Carnival) are located. Also in that area are the Florida Aquarium and the shops and restaurants in the Channelside complex. Then it continues N. past terminal 3 (RCCI, and others) and terminal 6 (HAL), then on up to the Ybor City Latin Historic District.


Ken

[sail7seas]

[b]Sounds Great. [/b]

[b]I'm getting quite eager to see Tampa. At first it was just a place to 'catch the ship' but I am now really getting into seeing as much as possible. I know we will enjoy ourselves during the three days we will spend there.[/b]