The Christmas time fun continues with the family in Tampa, Florida. This year, my mom planned for us all to do a food walking tour of Tampa’s historic Ybor City, located just northeast of downtown. Let’s just say, this food tour went MUCH smoother than the one Kevin and I planned last year of downtown St. Petersburg, Florida – where our guide cancelled last minute and we became the guides! Though, I still think Kevin and I did a pretty good job (if I say so myself!) and that we have a future as food tour guides if our jobs in LA ever fall through.
Why did the chicken cross the road? A common sight in Ybor City are the wild chickens and roosters that share the road
Ybor City was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from Cuba, Spain and Italy. For the next 50 years, workers in Ybor City’s cigar factories rolled millions of cigars annually.
Stopping along the tour to check out Don Vicente, which was constructed in 1895 by Ybor City’s founder, Vicente Martinez-Ybor, for his company’s headquarters. It served as a health clinic for immigrants at one time.
Vicente Martine Ybor, a native of Spain, made cigars in Havana and Key West. And his move to Tampa was prompted by better transportation (and better relations with the local government officials). He helped make Tampa a world tobacco manufacturing center. Along the tour, we got to see some of these early factories and went inside the very worthwhile Ybor City Chamber of Commerce to watch a video about the city’s Cuban, Italian and other immigrant past.
A great stop along the tour at the Chamber of Commerce with old maps, photos and a gift shop packed with books on Ybor’s history.
One of the most interesting parts of the tour was learning about the lectors – or readers – who would read the newspaper or even novels, like Don Quixote, to the factory workers as they rolled cigars. The lector read while seated on a raised platform so all of the workers could see and hear him or her. The lector provided an education for the workers and even became local celebrities.
The lector reads to the factory worker rolling the cigars below.
One of the best stops on the walking tour was to the José Martí Park, which has been owned by the Cuban government since 1956 (and rumored that the soil was brought over from Cuba). So you’re literally traveling to Cuban land in Tampa! José Martí was a Cuban-born poet and revolutionary who made his home in Ybor City in the late 1800’s and had a major impact on the cigar industry and is honored with a statue in the park.
Taking a stop along the tour to check out the José Martí Park.
Wait, wasn’t this a food walking tour? Well, there is so much history to Ybor that you can’t do a walking tour without getting some context. First stop was the Tampa Bay Brewing Company where we had some Buffalo wings. Not sure there is much connection to the history here, but hey… They were pretty darn good wings!
Oh, it’s dad’s favorite – chicken wings!
Immigrants flooded Ybor City in the 1800’s and influenced cuisine that is still served here today – such as the Cuban sandwich. The infamous Colombia Restaurant isn’t a stop on this tour, but is well worth a visit. It’s an experience all in itself. Our guide took us to the Stone Soup Company where they serve Cuban sandwiches with pulled pork (as opposed to the typical roasted pork). It was my favorite stop by far!
Cuban sandwich with dipping sauce. Yum!
Of course the Italians also had a big influence on Ybor City so we had to have some New York style pizza at the restaurant New York New York. Hey, why not?
We were all starting to get pretty full at this point. But who can resist rice and beans? Another “light” meal (not really!) at Gaspar’s Grotto. It’s a divey looking pirate bar, but this was Kevin’s pick for his favorite food along the way.
Kevin is going strong – even after all these food stops!
Finally, we made a quick grab and go at La Tropicana Cafe to pick up some guava filled pastry before we went to Nicahabana Cuban cigar shop where we had some VERY strongly caffeinated Cuban coffee. But most of us stayed outside because we couldn’t take the cigar smoke with our coffee (because I’d go into my ever NOT so subtle coughing fits!).
Kevin and Christa peek through the window behind the Cuban cigar rollers
Wow, we covered a lot! And it was just a 3 hour tour. And best of all, Kevin and I didn’t have to give it! Plus, with any food walking tour, we tell ourselves we worked off all the food we ate along the way. Yes, even that massive slice of pizza… the Buffalo wings, a Cuban sandwich, a pastry… wait. Nevermind. We definitely didn’t!
THE LOWDOWN
Ybor City Food Walking Tours
Offers a variety – but the most popular is their “The Original History Ybor City Tour”
The Ybor City Food walking tour takes about 3 hours with most food stops having seats along the way
Tours start at 11 AM or 11:30 AM nearly every day
Cost is $59 per person
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