When we last saw our heroine, she was in the process of finalizing plans for a fabulous birthday soiree in December.

So here's an update:

Invitations?

Dress?

Shoes?

Location? Okay that changed but I think have the best of both worlds and

[Edited 10/10/11 19:48pm]

So what had happened with the original locale was, that since my party is in December most venues were doubling/tripling their food minimums in the hopes that a corporate Xmas party with deep pockets would come along. So I was getting frustrated as I tried to secure a location that wouldn't flake on me if a $20,000 party came along. Plus, they were tripping about my dj cuz I guess they were concerned about a bunch of black folks descending on the spot listening to that hip-hop music.

I was gonna say fuck it and buy that fur I've been looking at with the bday party money. Then one night, I was downtown attending a bday party that had ZERO alcohol.

After that church meeting, I went to a steakhouse across the street to have a drink by myself before heading home. The place was closing and was empty except for 4 white dudes chilling and getting drunk at the bar. I went to the other end and ordered and paid for my drink. While I was there, one of the dudes came over and introduced himself and offered to buy me a drink. We started chatting, and he introduced me to the other dudes. Turns out one of them owns the restaurant and 2 others on the block which is a few doors down from the flagship Neiman Marcus

Over the last few weeks, I've hung out with them and turns out they are awesome people. When I mentioned my bday party dilemma, the owner offered up the joint and told me that I can have the whole restaurant after they close at 11. Everything happens for a reason and God always puts me in the right place at the right time to meet the right people.

That restaurant looks FAB ... I am digging that outdoor seating area... just for dining not a party.

That sidewalk fireplace adds a cozy touch ... now the same menu? How many guests?

So here's the plan:

A seated dinner for 30 of my nearest and dearest in the private wine room. These folks will get a printed invitation because it's more formal and I'm paying for the meal. Then after dinner, my dj will spin on the patio surrounded by the downtown skyline (weather permitting). I'm inviting about 50 more people for this portion of the evening and will serve birthday cake. I was going to serve hors d'oeuvres but I figured I don't know these mofos like that and I'd rather spend $ on my closest friends. So I'ma let these people eat cake.

For the sake of conversation: Is that wrong tho?

Wow! That looks like an awesome place for your party. I'm not a real formal guy myself, but my sister and her boyfriend held a nice birthday party for my nephew last spring at a fine Italian restaurant in my hometown. It wasn't quite as decked out as your place is, but it was about a formal as my hometown usually gets.

And BTW, why not? It's your birthday! Celebrate your finest stuff with your closest friends and let your more casual friends come for the afterparty.

[Edited 10/10/11 19:24pm]

Here's the Dinner menu:

1st Course choice of:

Soup of the Day

Caeser salad

Spinach salad

Chopped salad

2nd Course choice of:

Filet mignon

Lemon, rosemary, and black pepper chicken

Asian BBQ salmon

Striped bass

Oven roasted Chilean sea bass

Sides:

Creamed spinach

Marsala mushrooms

Green onion mashed potatoes

Dessert:

Strawberry birthday cake

[Edited 10/10/11 19:55pm]

SCNDLS said:

So here's the plan:

A seated dinner for 30 of my nearest and dearest in the private wine room. These folks will get a printed invitation because it's more formal and I'm paying for the meal. Then after dinner, my dj will spin on the patio surrounded by the downtown skyline (weather permitting). I'm inviting about 50 more people for this portion of the evening and will serve birthday cake. I was going to serve hors d'oeuvres but I figured I don't know these mofos like that and I'd rather spend $ on my closest friends. So I'ma let these people eat cake.

For the sake of conversation: Is that wrong tho?

This sounds like a good plan... because people who are NOT near and dear may not show up or show up late and this means wasted dinners... and if those dinners run what? 25 or more bucks a plate then it is best to have to divi-up the party and do a multi-functional thing.

Will the 30 be served a specific wine or will several bottles be available according to tastes?

728huey said:

Wow! That looks like an awesome place for your party. I'm not a real formal guy myself, but my sister and her boyfriend held a nice birthday party for my nephew last spring at a fine Italian restaurant in my hometown. It wasn't quite as decked out as your place is, but it was about a formal as my hometown usually gets.

And BTW, why not? It's your birthday! Celebrate your finest stuff with your closest friends and let your more casual friends come for the afterparty.

[Edited 10/10/11 19:24pm]

How old is your nephew? Did he appreciate/enjoy the party?

My girls and I do bday's pretty big down here. Most of us have bdays from October to December. So we eat out a LOT in the winter. Since this is a pre-milestone bday (39th) and I'm doing a destination bday next year I figured I should have something grander this year.

But, etiquette is important to me and i'm a LIL concerned about not providing food for the "party" party. But I figure, it's kinda like going out to a club after dinner. But I KNOW some folks are gonna be offended cuz they're not invited to the dinner.

paintedlady said:

SCNDLS said:

So here's the plan:

A seated dinner for 30 of my nearest and dearest in the private wine room. These folks will get a printed invitation because it's more formal and I'm paying for the meal. Then after dinner, my dj will spin on the patio surrounded by the downtown skyline (weather permitting). I'm inviting about 50 more people for this portion of the evening and will serve birthday cake. I was going to serve hors d'oeuvres but I figured I don't know these mofos like that and I'd rather spend $ on my closest friends. So I'ma let these people eat cake.

For the sake of conversation: Is that wrong tho?

This sounds like a good plan... because people who are NOT near and dear may not show up or show up late and this means wasted dinners... and if those dinners run what? 25 or more bucks a plate then it is best to have to divi-up the party and do a multi-functional thing.

Will the 30 be served a specific wine or will several bottles be available according to tastes?

They're on their own for alcohol. These mofos cutting into my fur budget so they better be glad I'm even feeding they asses.

...so ix-nay on the PurpleJedi bartender bit huh...?

SCNDLS said:

728huey said:

Wow! That looks like an awesome place for your party. I'm not a real formal guy myself, but my sister and her boyfriend held a nice birthday party for my nephew last spring at a fine Italian restaurant in my hometown. It wasn't quite as decked out as your place is, but it was about a formal as my hometown usually gets.

And BTW, why not? It's your birthday! Celebrate your finest stuff with your closest friends and let your more casual friends come for the afterparty.

[Edited 10/10/11 19:24pm]

How old is your nephew? Did he appreciate/enjoy the party?

My girls and I do bday's pretty big down here. Most of us have bdays from October to December. So we eat out a LOT in the winter. Since this is a pre-milestone bday (39th) and I'm doing a destination bday next year I figured I should have something grander this year.

But, etiquette is important to me and i'm a LIL concerned about not providing food for the "party" party. But I figure, it's kinda like going out to a club after dinner. But I KNOW some folks are gonna be offended cuz they're not invited to the dinner.

My nephew turned 21. I think he enjoyed the party, but he's a shy, introverted person, so he didn't want to make a big fuss about it.

PurpleJedi said:

...so ix-nay on the PurpleJedi bartender bit huh...?

Hey, I figured you'd rather be a guest than work behind the bar

728huey said:

SCNDLS said:

How old is your nephew? Did he appreciate/enjoy the party?

My girls and I do bday's pretty big down here. Most of us have bdays from October to December. So we eat out a LOT in the winter. Since this is a pre-milestone bday (39th) and I'm doing a destination bday next year I figured I should have something grander this year.

But, etiquette is important to me and i'm a LIL concerned about not providing food for the "party" party. But I figure, it's kinda like going out to a club after dinner. But I KNOW some folks are gonna be offended cuz they're not invited to the dinner.

My nephew turned 21. I think he enjoyed the party, but he's a shy, introverted person, so he didn't want to make a big fuss about it.

Generally, my bdays sucked as a kid cuz it was so close to Xmas. So to make up for that, as an adult I love indulging myself and my friends just because.

SCNDLS said:

728huey said:

My nephew turned 21. I think he enjoyed the party, but he's a shy, introverted person, so he didn't want to make a big fuss about it.

Generally, my bdays sucked as a kid cuz it was so close to Xmas. So to make up for that, as an adult I love indulging myself and my friends just because.

I AM HUNGRY NOW...

I don't blame you one bit, its hard to get it together for birthdays along the holidays.. my son's B-day is Dec 28th... he gets crap on his birthday from my family.

I am a stickler for celebrating on HIS day and keeping them separate. So yeah, I would do the same in your shoes.

Oh, and I'm still going to do a candy station with pink and black candy and cotton candy during the afterparty.

paintedlady said:

SCNDLS said:

Generally, my bdays sucked as a kid cuz it was so close to Xmas. So to make up for that, as an adult I love indulging myself and my friends just because.

I AM HUNGRY NOW...

I don't blame you one bit, its hard to get it together for birthdays along the holidays.. my son's B-day is Dec 28th... he gets crap on his birthday from my family.

I am a stickler for celebrating on HIS day and keeping them separate. So yeah, I would do the same in your shoes.

That's really important to do.

SCNDLS said:

paintedlady said:

I AM HUNGRY NOW...

I don't blame you one bit, its hard to get it together for birthdays along the holidays.. my son's B-day is Dec 28th... he gets crap on his birthday from my family.

I am a stickler for celebrating on HIS day and keeping them separate. So yeah, I would do the same in your shoes.

That's really important to do.

so will the cotton candy be in a personalized goodie bag?

paintedlady said:

SCNDLS said:

That's really important to do.

so will the cotton candy be in a personalized goodie bag?

I haven't decided how I'ma do that. My friend said she put it in a big jar and provide tongs for people to use. I need to investigate my cotton candy options further.

SCNDLS said:

paintedlady said:

so will the cotton candy be in a personalized goodie bag?

I haven't decided how I'ma do that. My friend said she put it in a big jar and provide tongs for people to use. I need to investigate my cotton candy options further.

If folks are gonna be snackin' on cotton candy, have the handi-wipes ready. Sticky fingers hugging you up will be no good.

ThreadBare said:

The menu !!!

SCNDLS said:

PurpleJedi said:

...so ix-nay on the PurpleJedi bartender bit huh...?

Hey, I figured you'd rather be a guest than work behind the bar

Ottensen said:

ThreadBare said:

The menu !!!

Guuuurrrrrlllll, lemme tell you bout them damn mushrooms . . . I had dinner here back in August with 5 friends and somebody got the mushrooms. I like mushrooms but they're usually kinda bland. But THESE mo-fo mushrooms were soooo flavorful and peppery . . . I've never had shrooms like these. All of us bumrushed the mushrooms the person who ordered them was none too happy with us. They were truly awesome

On another note, last Friday I was hanging with the owner at his Mexican restaurant across the street from this one, and he talks my dumb ass into trying a tequila shot with a ghost chile pepper in it. The ghost chile is the hottest pepper on the planet. On some heat scale a habanero is 1000 and the ghost is 1 million. His restaurant makes this tequila by putting a ghost chile pepper in a bottle for 2 weeks.

So I do my shot and immediately it feels like my ears are bleeding. But I sat there like a lady swilling my Corona in the hopes it would put the fire out. It didn't. I swear I felt some liquid or something release from inside my ears but there was nothing in there. My homegirl broke out in an immediate sweat. Her curly hair went straight instantly like in a cartoon.

That shit was HOT! It passed after 5 minutes but DAYUM!!!

paintedlady said:

SCNDLS said:

I haven't decided how I'ma do that. My friend said she put it in a big jar and provide tongs for people to use. I need to investigate my cotton candy options further.

If folks are gonna be snackin' on cotton candy, have the handi-wipes ready. Sticky fingers hugging you up will be no good.

I can just see sticky handprints on everybody's backs.

SCNDLS said:

paintedlady said:

so will the cotton candy be in a personalized goodie bag?

I haven't decided how I'ma do that. My friend said she put it in a big jar and provide tongs for people to use. I need to investigate my cotton candy options further.

i hope this helps. also a happy and blessed pre-birthday planning to you

Miniature Cotton Candy

1. To make the bags of cotton candy, start by trimming the corner off of a plastic bag (such as a zipper bag or sandwich bag).

2. Secure the bags shut with a little bit of string (used embroidery floss) or wire. Repeat until you have the desired number of bags of cotton candy.

anyway, i kinda feel that you are very creative in this area. hope this idea is a catalyst to your cotton candy presentation idea.

free2bfreeda said:

SCNDLS said:

I haven't decided how I'ma do that. My friend said she put it in a big jar and provide tongs for people to use. I need to investigate my cotton candy options further.

i hope this helps. also a happy and blessed pre-birthday planning to you

Miniature Cotton Candy

1. To make the bags of cotton candy, start by trimming the corner off of a plastic bag (such as a zipper bag or sandwich bag).

2. Secure the bags shut with a little bit of string (used embroidery floss) or wire. Repeat until you have the desired number of bags of cotton candy.

anyway, i kinda feel that you are very creative in this area. hope this idea is a catalyst to your cotton candy presentation idea.

Girl, you singlehandedly saved the cotton candy!!!

That's a cute idea!

You never know what you'll find on the .org!

Nice save free2bfreeda! That's an adorable idea!

Party looks great SCNDLS! I totally understand about December birthdays. My husband's birthday is Christmas Day.

okay, now yah got me started! here's one more idea pix 4 u.

Cotton Candy Tree

tha-tha-that's all folks. i'm finished. (-:

free2bfreeda said:

okay, now yah got me started! here's one more idea pix 4 u.

Cotton Candy Tree

tha-tha-that's all folks. i'm finished. (-:

That's kinda what I'm planning, some kind of candy bar/station

Nothinbutjoy said:

You never know what you'll find on the .org!

Nice save free2bfreeda! That's an adorable idea!

Party looks great SCNDLS! I totally understand about December birthdays. My husband's birthday is Christmas Day.

Girl, what do you do for his bday??? That would be THE worst growing up.