At times, being a vegetarian can be challenging.
Especially when most of your friends and family are meat eaters. Luckily, most of them try their best to be as mindful as possible. For example, if they invite me out to eat, they always make sure they choose a restaurant that has tons of vegetarian options. Or to keep it simple, they choose a restaurant that they know I like. And one of my favorite places to eat is Columbia, here in the Tampa Bay area. It’s a Spanish and Cuban-style restaurant and it’s the oldest restaurant in Florida. I am obsessed with their menu, especially the black beans. And as a vegetarian, I eat beans a lot because they are a good source of protein as well as vitamins that the body needs. Anyway, not only is this the oldest restaurant in Florida, but it was also the first in the state to have an air conditioned dining room. This Tampa Bay eatery added air conditioning back in the 1930’s as part of a renovation of the space. And if you know anything about the heat and humidity in the Tampa Bay area, you’ll understand why having a cool comfortable place to eat is important. Having air conditioning definitely added to the success of the restaurant especially in an area like this, where it’s hot for nine months out of the year. Thankfully, we are close to the Bay, so it helps to keep the temperature cool especially during the evenings. Although the highest temperature in Tampa has only been 99 degrees, having air conditioners are necessary for homes as well as for restaurants.