When I first set foot in the downtown Manuel’s on a cold and wet November evening in 1994, I was a college student out for dinner with friends, one of whom knew the restaurant. Over sizzling fajitas, we took in the unique ambience: exposed brick wall from the 1800s and black tabletops served as the perfect backdrop for vibrant plates of delicious food. I soon introduced my family to Manuel’s, and it quickly became a favorite on their visits to Austin. We celebrated not only my mother’s PhD graduation from UT, btu also my own graduation, and later my sister’s, at Manuel’s. And it was Manuel’s where my husband and I went on our first date in 1998, and the coincidence wasn’t lost on me that when we got married in 2004, Manuel’s was celebrating its 20th anniversary! It seemed appropriate that a place where we had commemorated so many family occasions was also celebrating a special milestone of its own the very same year. My father grew to #LoveManuels so much: On one of the last weekends he came to Austin before he passed away, we went there for dinner on Friday and again for brunch on Sunday. In his opinion, you just couldn’t get enough of the delicious food and margaritas! Over the years, we’ve migrated to the Arboretum Manuel’s for the lovely light-filled restaurant and the fantastic outdoor patio. It was there that my husband and I took our daughter when she was 3 months old to celebrate the 13th anniversary of our first date. She snuggled up in her carrier in our booth while we reminisced about all that had occurred, over that same first meal of nachos with guacamole and fajitas. As a young family, after her brother was born, we often took the kids to Manuel’s on Sundays so I could have a break from cooking, and they could enjoy delicious food and learn how to behave in a restaurant. The friendly staff always greeted us with a warm welcome. These days, we’re still just as likely to celebrate Mother’s Day on the patio, or a birthday in the cozy dining room. I could never have imagined 30 years ago that Manuel’s would be the place of my first date with my husband, or become such an integral part of the fabric of our family life. Congratulations on #Manuels40th! ¡Gracias por todo!