Ybor Cigars Plus ~ Handmade Cigars, Mojitos, and Live Music

After dinner and the Flamenco show at the Original Columbia Restaurant, we decided to have a walk to show James's parents a little more of Ybor City. Famous for cigar factories, I love the fact that Ybor still has shops and bars that roll cigars. As we were walking down 7th Avenue, we caught sight of the sign for Ybor Cigars Plus. I fell in love with the looks of the place and we were drawn in by the guy rolling cigars in the window. Ybor city is full of bars, something for everybody. This really appealed to me because it had the atmosphere of what I imagine a cafe in Cuba would really have. There was a good age mix all socializing together in this darkened, relaxed cafe drinking wine, espresso, beer, while a couple of people smoked cigars. The smoke wasn't too strong but added a nice warm scent. It was fascinating to watch how quickly the guy in the window could complete a cigar. All while he had a phone perched on his shoulder. He made it look so easy. I really would like to try someday, though I think it will probably take a few tries before I can do it half as well as this pro.

I ordered an espresso since I was driving and James had a glass of wine. You can't go to Ybor and not have a vice, and as I was vice-less that night, decided to have a cigar. Now here is my confession: I enjoy cigars. Not that I have them very often, really once ever 5+ years (probably more), but I really do enjoy the taste of a good quality cigar. The staff were very friendly and recommended the Robusto Maduro to compliment the coffee and wine. We were not disappointed. It had such a lovely flavor and was such a nice relaxing way to wind down. After about half of it we were finished, I had reached my limit. They were nice enough to cut the tip and packaged it up so we could take the rest with us for another day. Ybor Cigars Plus is such a friendly, welcoming cafe and was the perfect place to end our evening. I can't wait to go back.

Ybor Cigars Plus
1725 E. 7th Ave
Ybor City, FL 33605
813.516.3731
http://www.yborcigarsplus.com/
contacts@yborcigarsplus.com

Places I Eat: Flamenco at The Columbia Restaurant ~ Ybor City

While James's parents were here, we decided that it would be fun to do something that they hadn't done before. James's father has taken a keen interest in Flamenco dancing recently, they love the Columbia on St. Armands, so we decided that taking them to the original in Ybor City was a must! Established in 1905, the Hernandez Gonzmart family are now in the 4th and 5th generation to be serving fantastic Spanish/Cuban food in the original location in Ybor City.

Originally a community for Spanish, Cuban, and Italian immigrants in the 1800's, Ybor City was the area capital for cigar factories, a tradition that still lives on today. Today it has a mix of cafes, bars, nightclubs, and funky shops - but still retains a strong architectural flavor of it's ethnical past.

We started with a pitcher of Sangria de Cava, 1905 Salad, and some black bean cakes. After our first course, we were treated to a 45 minute flamenco show. The dancers were fantastic and I would highly recommend going if you are in the area. There is a charge of $6 per person for the show, but this is truly a good value for the quality of dancing.

Our main course followed the dancing. I couldn't resist having the Ropa Vieja. My lovely friend Emily, who is from Cuba, will be teaching me how to make this in the upcoming months. I can hardly wait!!!

In addition, since our visit to the flamenco show, I have started reading a book called The Return by Victoria Hislop. Set in the Spanish Civil War, it is the love story of a young Flamenco dancer and her (almost 5 years older) guitarrista. While I am only half way through this book, I would recommend it as highly as I recommend an evening at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.