33 years ago I got a job as a waitress at Manuel’s. They took a chance on me. I was a shy Mexican girl that spoke with a heavy accent. Manuel’s became my introduction to a whole new world, a world where I became sophisticated and educated in life. The amazing, eccentric and unique souls that worked alongside me changed my life forever. I gained lifelong friends. I received financial and moral support that got me through college. My work colleagues would help me study, including chemistry flashcards while we were doing closing duties. There are too many examples to list how Manuel’s was a place of support……and amazing food! I learned all about music in the early days of Austin City Limits and South by Southwest. It’s difficult to express how much Manuel’s has meant to me over the years. I waited on big-time celebs such as Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Bono, Clint Eastwood, Charlie Sheen and his father Martin and brother Emilio Estevez, and Kevin Costner among many other famous folks who frequented this great restaurant anytime they were in town. It was the place where I spent some of the best times with my boyfriend, Steve, who became my husband in 1993. Every night I worked he would go wait for me to finish my shift and the kitchen would make sure he got a free amazing meal while he waited at a small table for me. Manuel’s was an integral part of me going from a recent Mexican immigrant learning English to my current life of being a Dermatologist who owns my private medical practice and medical spa here in North Carolina. Of course we make sure to travel from NC to Austin at least three times a year to continue enjoying the best Mexican food and margaritas in the country. Every time my husband and I go to places like New York, Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas, etc. we look for food that matches Manuel’s very high standard, but we have not found it yet, so we keep returning back to Austin to indulge!