The District Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 3, Fall 2017 | Page 21

performers – Adela a concert pianist, Cesar a
violinist – they returned to their native Tampa in
1953, operating the restaurant and raising their
two sons, Casey and Richard.
Adela and Cesar persevered through Ybor’s
decline in the 1950s and ‘60s, when residents of
the Latin Quarter fled for the suburbs. Despite
economic uncertainty, the couple expanded the
restaurant and, using their connections in the music
business, attracted top Latin music performers to
the Columbia. They also expanded geographically,
opening what is now Sarasota’s oldest restaurant
in 1959.
More than restaurateurs, the duo breathed life into
a past-its-peak Ybor City, both taking active roles
in the community. Cesar was a tireless promoter
of all things Ybor, and helped start the Krewe of
Best Hand Rolled Cigar
Ybor City
Sant’yago and the Ybor City Knight Parade, while
Adela supported arts and culture, helping found
Ballet Folklorico in the 1980s, a training ground for
a new generation of dancers practicing Flamenco
and other Spanish folk traditions.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
1728 E 7th Ave,Tampa, FL 33605
813.374.0346
www.TheLongAshCigars.com
THE DISTRICT - TAMPA’S URBAN DWELLING MAGAZINE
21