Almost Fully Committed at Starlite

My SO picked up tickets to see The Hold Steady at Emo's tonight. Doors are at 10 p.m. with two opening bands. The old me would have said no way, take a buddy, I am curling up with a glass of wine, my book and lights out, by the latest, at 10 p.m. However, I have turned a page. Life is about fun. To quote the SO, "If you are not having fun, what's the point?" I have to agree, but I had to prepare.

What does going to a midnight show mean to a girl that goes to bed at 9:30 p.m.? I'll tell you the game plan. Come home, hit the gym to sweat out the work week, shower, nap, re-shower, get dressed, Redbull.

On our walk to Red River we decided to stop for a drink. The choice was all mine. I started running down the list of bars in my head that I don't usually get to see at this hour of the night, Beauty Bar, Club Deville, etc. Before we got too close to the venue I had chosen our pre-show destination. It happened to be Starlite.

We walked into Starlite, were warmly greeted by the hostess and let her know we were just in for a drink. We proceeded past the scattered tables of diners and up the stairs. This is one of my favorite secret bars in town. In the back room there was a girls-only birthday dinner party. The scene looked as though it could have from Sex and the City or Beverly Hills 90210 considering the age of the attendees. The girls were decked out in the Friday night finest. In the bar area was another dinner party consisting of about four couples more my age and a bit older. I felt relieved that I was not the only 30ish (early 30ish) in the lounge. There were also a few hipsters congregating at the small cocktail area in front of the bar.

There happened to be two empty seats at the five seat bar. This is definitely a see and be seen hot spot, although the warm friendly greeting at the front door and the attentive and inviting bartenders set you right at ease and reminds you that you are in Austin.

Don, the bartender, took our orders right away. I had my usual, a screwdriver and to quote Keith Richards, "with a hammer thrown in it." The SO chose a beer. My screwdriver was prepared in an elegant highball glass and as a complement to the vodka was none other than Austin's finest, Good Flow orange juice. It happened to be a delicious cocktail. We chatted with the friendly bar assistant telling her our woes of having to stay out so late that night. Also an early-to-bedder, the bar assistant disclosed her secret to the late night out, shots! Oh no, I was thinking, but remembered my SO's quote and went with it.

What was the poison last evening? Tequila? Yager? Gosh no, remember, we are at the restaurant bar. Sweet bar assistant alerted Don it was time to prepare shots. He carefully concocted a vodka-based (thank you for not making me mix), pomegranate and Good Flow lemon juice shot, which we officially named that evening, Don's sweet tart. It was so good I was convinced it was good for me.

It was time to get moving to Emo's for the show. As we found our way towards the exit a vision of an Emo's restroom flashed in my mind. I made a pit stop for the ladies room at Starlite. It did not disappoint. The stall was, of course, clean, the soap lovely and the candle lit ambiance mixed with the pleasant wafts of the oil diffuser was worth missing the opening song from the Hold Steady.

Learn more about this author, Alexandria Giavoni.
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