Darrell & Steve's 160th Birthday Party

Darrell Corti and Steve Wallace have been friends since the mid 1960's. Steve is known to many as "The Wine Merchant to the Stars." He was the founder and former owner of the famous Wally's Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles, until he sold the business to store co-owner Christian Navarro and Maurice, Paul and Armand Marciano, founders and executives at global fashion firm Guess. Read about it here - www.winespectator.com/wallys-wine-spirits

Steve and Darrell were friends for years before realizing that they share the birthday...in the same year! They have celebrated their birthday together a number of times during benchmark years alternating between Chez Panisse for Darrell living in Northern California, and at noted Southern California restaurants, like Michael's for Steve as he resides there. These special birthday parties have become legendary.

On Sunday April 3, 2022, they did it again to celebrate their 80th birthday collectively making it a 160th birthday party. They put their resources together along with Alice Waters to create another party to remember. It was held at Alice's new restaurant Lulu at The Hammer Museum.

The party began at 2pm with guests filing into the beautiful courtyard space restaurant on a perfectly beautiful 70 degree afternoon. Lulu at The Hammer Museum has only been open about 6 months and is Alice Water's first restaurant venture in Southern California.

Read more here www.latimes.com/lulu-restaurant

I walked around the space to see how the restaurant and courtyard were designed and decorated. Here are some of the images I captured.

Darrell invited wine importer, distributor, sommelier, and vendor to Corti Brothers, Justin Gallen to undertake the sommelier duties for the party. Justin began by uncorking the Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut 3 liter bottles Darrell selected to begin the festivities with. Here's a link to learn more more about Justin: meet-justin-gallen-wine-importer-distributor-and-sommelier

Lulu Chef David Tanis and Alice Waters began preparation of the Sterling Supreme caviar Darrell selected to have on buckwheat blini with crème fraîche.

The reception lasted for at least an hour before Steve grabbed the mic and asked everyone to be seated. The five piece band continued playing the wonderful Italian themed music selection chosen by Darrell and Steve.

The reception was very lively with wisps of nostalgic emotion everywhere. Many old friends finally got the opportunity to gather again after much time apart had passed. This birthday was the first real party since the beginning of the 2 year pandemic for most! As everyone found a seat, the wines began being poured and the first course was served.

Before I get into the menu, Here's the background on how the theme of the party came to be. Darrell wanted to do an Italian merenda.

There’s no proper translation in English for the word. In the Italian daily eating routine, merenda is a meal that is enjoyed between lunch and dinner. A sweet and/or savory food break that picks us up in the dullest moment of the afternoon. The term comes from the Latin verb merere (to deserve), which translates to ‘the things one deserves. "Only those worthy of deserving merenda have the right to enjoy it."

Darrell presented this idea to Steve for their party emphasizing that this "break in daily routine from the end of March through November to enjoy things produced on an agricultural estate" would be a perfect way to celebrate. Steve loved the idea, so the concept of the party was set.

First course: SALUMI; Fra’Mani soppressata, toscana, piemontese & testa in cassetta.

Darrell ask Paul Bertoli of Fra'Mani in Berkeley, CA if he would make four very special Salumi for the birthday party. Paul was more than happy to do this. Three salame were made; Piemontese: Finely ground pork flavored with cardamon (Alba Style). Toscano: Pork leg, red wine, black pepper, garlic, sea salt. Soppressata: Coarse cut pork, clove scented, originally Soppressa Vicentine (Vicenza). They were all aged for 108 days. Darrell had him make about 170 lbs of each so some could be offered for sale at Corti Brothers.

The forth was Testa in Cassetta which is a head cheese like salumi with a long history in Genoa and the Piemonte regions. Testa means “head” in Italian and Cassetta means “wooden box”. The box is lined with pork caul fat because a wooden box was the most available material and also provided the structural support enabling the important step of applying weight to the top surface to compress the headcheese while snugly containing the selected morsel cuts of the pork head used. www.framani.com

Here is the birthday party wine list

BOLLINGER BRUT SPECIAL CUVÉE in Jeroboam

SONNTALER 2020 VERNATSCH ALTE REBEN Schiava Vecchie Viti, Kurtasch Kellerei

SCHÄFER-FRÖLICH 2016 FRÜHLINGSPLÄTZCHEN RIESLING in Magnum

ANTINORI CHARDONNAY 2019 A26 VINEYARD Atlas Peak Napa Valley

CLARÈ JC 2021 G.D. VAJRA in Magnum

NARSAI DAVID CABERNET 2006 in Magnum

SANDLANDS AMADOR COUNTY ANGELICA 2020

HARRINGTON CALIFORNIA ANGELICA 2017

Second course, entree course, and insalata were;

WARM ASPARAGUS salsa bassanese & maionese al limone

LASAGNE VERDI ricotta, greens, morels, parmigiano

INSALATA various farmer’s market lettuces

After the meal was enjoyed, many switched seats and moved around the place to commune with as many friends as they could. I managed to capture an endearing moment between long time friends Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl in the next video as they went to see the kitchen and peek at the birthday cake.

It was finally time to present the birthday cakes and sing Happy Birthday.

Since there was a microphone, time came for a few speeches. Even thought he thought he wouldn't have to speak, Darrell was coaxed to the mic.

Colman Andrews stepped up to the mic and presented a very humorous toast. Darrell was so taken with the toast, he is commissioning his friend and very noted artist David Lance Goines to make a poster of the toast.

After I finished my slice of the amazingly delicious birthday cake, Darrell asked me to shoot a video of a very long time customer who is also the wife of his ophthalmologist, Nick Gutierrez. Bernadette Gutierrez recounted to Darrell the time, more than 20 years ago, when her daughter Mireille at age 4 sang Darrell "Las Mañanitas" the Mexican Birthday Song. She then began to sing it to Darrell. So here is Bernadette singing "Las Mañanitas" for Darrell.

Here are a few more candid shots of the party...

To Darrel and Steve, and I'm sure I speak for all of those who were able to attend, Thank you for such a deliciously wonderful afternoon and our best wishes for many, many more birthdays to come...