The Dreaded Birthday Dinner

The dreaded birthday dinner: it happens constantly, especially in cities like New York where people don't entertain at home.  Here is the usual scenario: You are are pretty good friends with the birthday boy/girl, and you get invited to their Friday or Saturday night birthday dinner...along with 25 of their other good friends.  Since it's a party night, people are really ready to tie one on so the cocktail ordering begins.  Then someone takes it upon himself to order appetizers for the table.  More cocktails.  You order a sensible entree but the guy who ordered all the appetizers also ends up ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.  More cocktails.  And why not top it off with a few desserts to share and another round of drinks before everyone hits the bars.  And we all know what happens whether you are the guy who ordered the apps and the filet mignon or you are the girl who ordered the side salad---the check gets split evenly.  What's a broke bitch to do!?

If it's your birthday...

- Be considerate of your friends' varying income levels and pick a reasonably priced place.  I go to nymag.com to search their restaurant listings for two $ signs.  This way it is neither a street cart nor Per Se.  My favorite place in NYC for group dinners is Pepe Giallo.  Great food, great price (they also can do a prix fixe), and no cocktails, only vino.

- Choose a spot that has a fixed price dinner menu so there are no surprises and the only variable is booze.

- Go to a place where everyone gets their own ticket like Hill Country.  I have personally had my b-day dinners at the two aforementioned places, so I can vouch for them both (and how much everyone appreciated getting their own check).

- Invite only your inner circle (i.e. less than 10 people) to dinner. Then meet up with everyone else at the bar afterward.

-  Think about doing a dinner during the week or better yet, brunch.  It keeps it a little less boozy and everyone will remember their conversations the next day.

- Don't freak out if a friend is in a pinch and declines the invitation.  Make plans to grab food or a drink in the next week or so to do a mini celebration.  We have all coughed up that $150 for a birthday dinner we truly couldn't afford, and it feels just awful.

If you are a guest...

- If it is one of your bestie's birthdays, you have to go so just put on a smile and cough it up.  Just remember that you will get your time in the sun when it's your birthday. 

- If you are invited by someone you aren't super close with, don't feel bad about declining.  You just have other plans and will meet up with them après for drinks.

- I've pulled this one before - Scheme with a fellow broke friend to show up an hour late (must be after the group has ordered), and ask the waiter for a separate check.  Make sure you tell the host you will be late so you don't look totally rude.

- Bring cash!  The people paying with credit cards always seem to get screwed.

- F*ck it!  Order dirty martinis and lobster tails since the bill will be split anyway.  You'll come out ahead, full, and wasted.  Suckers!!

Man of the Month: Michael Kors

I feel like I am seeing Michael Kors everywhere this month!  Not in person (that would be incredibly cool), but I've run into him in New York Magazine's Fall Fashion Issue, Vanity Fair, and I just watched an amazing documentary on him via Hulu.  For years I thought Michael Kors was just the cat-tastic foil to Tim Gunn's verbose teacher type.  Though I loved him on Project Runway, I never really 'got' what he did.  I had a complete light bulb moment this week when I realized there was nothing to get:  Michael Kors makes wearable, classic, luxurious, all-American sportswear that flatters everyone....which is actually quite revolutionary.  He is not mister costume or creative, nor does he jump on any trend bandwagon--which we all know causes those 'what was I thinking' fashion moments later in life.  He knows his women, and he wants them to look jet-set classic whether they are in St. Tropez, St. Moritz, or St. Paul.  Enjoy!

ps- love Michael's mom! 

Park Avenue Jesus! (New York Magazine)

Gaga for Gaga

I think it is pretty safe to say that I am gaga for Gaga.  Say what you may about her fashion and sound bite choices, but she is the most interesting thing to hit music since Madonna was writhing on stage to Like A Virgin what, 30 years ago.  And now you can watch all the other music industry starlets scrambling to stay relevant (a few very tragically so).  I was definitely an 'early adopter' of all things Gaga.  In the summer of 2008 we were listening to Just Dance on Fire Island like all other songs had mysteriously been deleted from our ipods.  (Want to hear what the next big thing in pop music will be?  Hang out with gay men.)  And, she even performed on the roof of my friend's hi-rise apartment building for about 15 curious souls.  I distinctly remember seeing the flier by the elevator bank and thinking, "Lady Gaga....what a dumb name."  Fast forward to a year ago when I saw her perform at Terminal 5 in NYC for a whopping $20 per ticket.....and just look at her now.  Bubble dresses, hair telephones, and duets with queen bee Beyonce.

So why am I waxing poetic about this little Italian girl from Manhattan?  This week's New York Magazine has an amazing article on the making of Gaga that I would encourage anyone to read: fan or foe.  It just shows how your life can completely change in the course of a year.  So for all you broke bitches and frugal fashionistas out there....chin up!  You never know where you could be in twelve months. 

Click here for the full article

Or here for a slideshow of gaga from tot to Telephone