Celebrating a birthday has been around forever. It started with the Pharaohs back in Ancient Egypt. Today we often think of birthdays in the context of kids having fun with balloons, magic tricks, and even sleepovers with their young friends. Candy and the traditional birthday cake with candles come to mind as necessities. Some parents are now wisely using it as an occasion to teach children about kindness to others and learning to give back by donating toys etc.
As we age some of us continue to celebrate each year in our own way – even if it is just on one of the social media connections like with your Facebook friends. Others including your scribe tend to ignore this hallmark of the passing years as we get older. Presently many of us are aging in relatively good health and living longer. Trendy websites like family friend Dr. Peter Attia (best selling book “Outlive” – The Science and Art of Longevity) and IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) are helping us to make healthier lifestyle changes for more possible birthday celebrations in the future. Older age is worth celebrating. Consider it.
On July 4 a dear older friend Alice Spurrell brought together 49 of us for dinner at Blue Water Cafe to celebrate her birthday. BWC is a top Vancouver restaurant often mentioned on this Blog for events of the Group of Eight of which Alice’s recently deceased husband Dave was an important long time contributing member. It was a wonderful idea to bring together some of her close friends for this celebration. An atmosphere of respect and admiration filled the room for Alice’s contribution to our community. My wife Joan and I have known the Spurrell family since the seventies when Alice & Dave arrived in Vancouver and both started work at BC Hydro. Alice was the true entrepreneur (we need more like her in Canada) deciding to go to Cordon Bleu in both London & Paris to become a culinary marvel. She returned to do catering with her business Menu Setters but not satisfied with only that went off again to learn all she could about cheese and founded one of the best cheese shops in the universe called Les Amis du Fromage. Vancouver is most grateful to her for all she has done to make our city more livable and a better culinary place. Alice is also a long standing member and enthusiastic supporter of activities of our thriving International Wine & Food Society and a former President of our Vancouver Branch.
This dinner was well planned and executed. The famous BWC Seafood towers to start and a three course menu to follow with clever 3 diverse options in each section for guests to choose. We chose the delicious loaded Dungeness + Shrimp Cake, Chef Frank Pabst recipe for Sablefish – our fav, and superb warm dark chocolate finale. Well chosen French wines of DRAPPIER Carte d’Or Champagne Brut, CHABLIS PREMIER CRU FOURCHAUME 2021 famille Gueguen, and SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE 1er Cru LES NARBENTONS 2020 Domaine Michel Ecard all paired nicely with the food.
This was an inspiring way to celebrate one’s birthday! Even your less birthday celebratory scribe enjoyed it immensely. Well done indeed.
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