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This photo may not look like much to the untrained eye, but at 5:15 on a Friday afternoon, there is no sight I’d rather see. This is the gateway between the work week and an evening out on Main Street. First stop, Anejo’s where we request to sit out on the patio to people watch. Our server informs us that if we get too chilly, he can turn on the outdoor heaters, but hey, that’s what margaritas are for, right? The chips and salsa are delicious as always and we quickly decided on the queso fundido as an appetizer which I’m pretty sure directly translates to cheesy cauldron of happiness. Okay, maybe not but consider this my official campaign for a name change. Since our nosh choice was not exactly weight watchers approved, we opted for the skinny girl margarita – a heavenly combination of organic tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, agave nectar and soda.  There is nothing that compares to an adult beverage outside on a warm evening after a long week. Anejo’s makes everything with the freshest ingredients, and it makes all the difference in the world. The hosts, servers, and bartenders are all super knowledgable and friendly and they make the experience what it is – awesome.

Although we were tempted to treat ourselves to another margarita, we had somewhere to be! We headed down to Bear in Boots to hear Zak Shaffer play acoustic guitar on their loft stage which, if you haven’t been is one of the coolest things in town. There’s live music during the summer from Thursday-Saturday and the artist climbs a little ladder and emerges on a loft complete with a piano and just enough room to set up. The musicians they book are great and Zak Shaffer was no exception. Have a request? Write it on a slip of paper, attach it with a clothespin to the rope near the ladder and the musician will hoist it up and play it if they know it! We had a champagne cocktail to celebrate the arrival of the weekend and it came complete with a hibiscus flower – so elegant and so delicious! All of their food is made in house. Everything. That means bread, butter, ketchup, drink mixes – literally all of it. They also butcher their own meat on premises which is super impressive considering their limited kitchen space.  It’s a great date spot, post-work-unwind spot, or just because it’s Thursday spot.

I often envy children; their lives are choreographed for them and all they have to do is show up. Someone tells them when to eat, what to wear, what to bring and having a public melt down complete with crying and screaming is not only forgivable, it’s acceptable. Yes, in a lot of ways kids have it made. But it is evenings like these that make taxes and always needing to wear pants when you leave the house worth it. The weekend starts on Main Street, and it’s good to be a grown up.