a very very long birthday celebration

Happy Birthday me.

Last night capped what turned out to be a very long birthday celebration, which got its start with a toast to my birthday at practically every dinner I was at last week in Paris, then to London for a party thrown by V at the Tayyab, with our dear Fahro brilliantly managing our food intake as usual, and with a special cake and an even better tart made by John and his darling sous chef David, then to yet another night out at St.John with five other friends for some serious Bath Chaps and Grouse eating. (more on the meals later)

Then the big night, last night, with a huge party thrown by Malik, Ally, and Dave, who started the night's round of celebration with a dinner at Bacco, with a bottle of my birthyear wine courtesy of Dave and Ally. Then we were off to Bliss, a bar just down the street where Malik had arranged to have enough space for 40 of my best friends to party to our collective heart's content. It was indeed fun, and yes, with a slightly unnerving element of worlds colliding--but fun none the less.

These parties are the best kind, you know, the kind where you just show up without having done anything and be the center of attention--not that my ego needed any help, mind you. My friends are just the best. Although I must say leaving all the details to everyone else was a little difficult for miss-perfectionist-me, so I kept asking where was this, when are we going here and there, who's picking up what, and on and on, to which Malik had one standard response: Whose birthday party is this? (mine), then who's going to worry about the logistics, (not me). My friends really are the best.

The party finished with a bunch of hardcore friends who ended up with me at Pink, our favorite local club to do some serious dancing to funky house music, then finally, to bed.....actually to Malik's couch, just a few blocks from Pink, never even made it home at all. And this morning I was this Sunday morning girl in a little black dress and spiky heels who obviously never made it home last night, taking the walk of shame to my car amongst the healthy set out on an early run around Dolores Park. Got in the car, only to find that I was out of gas, so yes, the girl in a little black dress who never made it home last night got to fill her car up at a gas station on a busy corner in the Mission, for even more of the world to see....

And now, here I am, barely awake, with an enormous hangover, but, amazingly enough, blogging! I'm off in just a bit to the French Laundry for a lunch with Lizzie and John--no no not in the little black dress anymore.

Frankly I'm not entirely sure how to stay awake through the many many courses at the French Laundry. But hey, it's for my birthday!!

Comments

[FatMan Seoul]

Hey Pim,

Happy (belated) Birthday!!

Better late than never I guess, ya? All the very best always.

[Pim]

Thanks so much everyone, here and on emails or at the lovely party itself, for the wonderful birthday wishes. I had a blast.

Can I have another birthday next week?

xx
greedy pim

p.s.The cake was After Midnight, from Citizen Cake, by the way.

[clotilde]

a belated happy birthday to you! I'm so happy that you can make it to C&Z's birthday party, and I have to thank you on its behalf for the great birthday cake you baked especially, it's beautiful!

[Seattle Bon Vivant]

Bon anniversaire Pim! Looks and sounds like it was a total blast!

[Sixy beast]

That's so wierd - i only discovered your site last week and have been checking it out. (I have a similarish one). Coincidence: On my Birthday in june I had a huge Red Hot and Pink party and then afterwards we went to PINK til the early hours!
We celebrated my French BF's 40th on Bastille Day in Paris, but when we returned we had another celebration in SF. Where did we end up? PINK of course!
lots of parallel connections - london- paris-SF- food blogging and pink!
keep having fun and bon anniversaire!
-sam

[Avatar]

Happy birthday, Pim! It looks like it was marvelous. Best wishes for the coming year.

[Laetitia]

Hey Pim!

what a great birthday! hope you enjoyed the Sparkling wine. Sorry we didn't make it to Pink.

Laetitia

[Angela]

Happy birthday Pim! Sounds like you've had a wonderful few days, and what a beautiful birthday cake!!

[catherine]

Hi, pim
Happy birthday !
You look very pretty. Your black dress sit well on you.
You're lucky because your friends celebrated your brithday, and arranged well for you.
Certainly, you enjoyed it.
I hope that you had inmemorable birthday in your life.
Take a rest

[Reid]

Hi Pim,

Happy Birthday! Looks like you had loads of fun! Thanks for sharing your special day with the rest of us in blog-land! =)

[Jimmy]

Hi Pim....Now that I've "seen" you, I must say that I approve!..LOL.....Seems we have some things in common..I'm from S.F.(4th generation!) Attended culinary school in Paris, and always go back. Love it there. I'm in the food/wine biz currently, and love your recipes and Paris tales...Happy Birthday. Mine is this comming Friday(1st)......Jimmy

[mademoiselle a.]

Happy Birthday!
[What a cake, what a cake...it looks like Opera Torte.]

[Heidi]

Happy Birthday Pim!
It was great being able to spend a bit of time with you at Bliss last night. -h

[Cathy]

Happy birthday Pim! Have a wonderful year.

[sher]

Pim,

Happy Birthday!! What a celebration!!! And you showed us pictures of it--thank you. You look beautiful, by the way. And I think you will rise to the challenge of sleep deprivation and have a great time at the French Laundry.

Sher