For Orlando’s 29th birthday, I was struggling to decide if I wanted to plan a grand party, or just do something a little more laidback at home since we had a one month old to consider in the party planning process. But then it hit me: he would be turning 29 on April 29th! It was his golden birthday! A simple affair simply would not suffice.
For those of you who may be scratching your heads right now, your golden birthday is when you turn the same age as the date you were born. So, for me, I turned 13 on June 13th and that was my golden birthday. Issa will have her golden birthday when she turns 15 on March 15th. Get it? I thought this was general knowledge but it wasn’t until after I had planned an entire gold theme that I realized the majority of the party guests had no idea why they were being asked to wear gold. Ha!
We started off the evening at Juniper Tar, a classy new bar in downtown San Antonio that has lavish decor and drinks to match. Our whole group passed around mixed cocktails and savored each sip of both sweet and savory options. My favorite by far was the fuzzy navel that the bartender added a little flair to with the passion fruit pearls.
The best part about parties, I think, is mixing different groups of your friends that haven’t met yet and giving them the chance to get to know one another. My friend Kara, on the right, is a good mommy friend with young kids like us. My friend Lindsay, on the left, played volleyball with me in college and just recently moved to the city. Lo and behold, they both work in the medical field and had the chance to chat about mutual friends. See what I mean? So much fun!
Dinner was just a quick walk down Houston Street to Citrus at Hotel Valencia. If you haven’t been and you live in South Texas, you have to put this on your culinary to-do list. Chef Robbie Nowlin prepared amazing dishes, including a charcuterie plate that was to die for, and my entree of choice, the duck confit. From top to bottom the meal was absolutely delectable, and the vibe in the restaurant was perfect for a relaxed evening with friends. Just the type of birthday you want when you’re almost 30, right Orlando? 🙂
To top of the evening, the kitchen staff put together a special birthday dessert just for Orlando. I can’t thank the folks at Citrus enough for helping to make our evening an unforgettable one. From the complimentary valet parking to the customer service to plan our event, everything was absolutely top notch. I’d do it all over again even if it wasn’t Orlando’s birthday, just for a special night out. And you should too!
XO,
A
