Buon Compleanno (Happy Birthday) - Chef Richard

Ciao a tutti,

Today was Chef Richard's Birthday and his wife Elaine threw him a big Birthday bash at their home. It was supposed to be a surprise party but his wife didn't think she would be able to cook him his favorite dishes without him getting suspicious. So she gave Richard the biggest gifts of all, a party, and she did all the cooking herself for all their guests.

People came from all over to help him celebrate and in some cases surprise him, like his sister Irene and her husband who surprised him all the way from New Jersey. That is Elaine, Richard's wife in the picture below and Irene, Richard's sister in the picture below that.

Not to confuse the issue but a mutual friend of ours surprised us by cutting her trip back east short and coming to the party and she is Evelyn, pictured below with me. Elaine, Irene, Evelyn, oh my! Thankfully in the picture below that is Camile, and not Eve or Ira or Ilene otherwise I never would have been able to keep all the names straight.

I surprised Richard too by bringing my computer and my Filippo and the Chef briefcase and acted surprised when I saw all those people there pretending I didn't know we weren't recording a show. After we laughed about that for a moment we both looked at each other as if to say, it would have been a fun idea to record a show during the party. Maybe next year.

We didn't record a show, but everything our show is about was going on right there before our eyes. Talk about family in the kitchen. Even though Elaine had everything already cooked and ready to go beforehand, and all the food was beautifully served on the dining room table buffet style, people still gathered in the kitchen and were helping out, whether she needed it or not. Everyone was chatting and laughing away...

Now that's Italian.

There were a few other surprises in store for him, like a roast that I hosted with friends and family saying the funniest things, things I didn't know about him. Since I was hosting, a job I am getting really used to, and enjoying very much by the way, I did a lot of talking, but everyone expected me to sing too.


That reminded me of a funny story that I shared with everyone during the roast. The story goes that after having known Richard a few years, I happened to have heard it was his Birthday on a particular day, actually, April 22nd to be exact. I called him on that day a few years back and said "Richard, it's Filippo. Happy Birthday."

There was a pregnant pause on the phone and I wasn't sure what was going on so I said, "Hello Richard are you there?" He answered, "Yes." I repeated myself, "Richard, it's Filippo. Happy Birthday." At this point he pulls the phone away from his ears and yells out to his wife. "Listen to this, the only person who didn't sing Happy Birthday to me was the singer, Filippo."

I laughed so hard at that as did all the guests at his party. So, true to form, I didn't sing to him on his Birthday again. But luckily, Camile Saviola did. I introduced her and off she went talking about the fact that Richard and her had been childhood friends and she told of all the mischief that children get into, especially these two, what a pair.

Richard, if you haven't noticed can be soft spoken and quite, just unfortunately, not when he is doing the show with me, he, he. Camile on the other hand is a ball of fire.

Of course she is a pro. You may not know her name but you have seen her on everything on TV, from Becker to First Mondays, where she had a staring role opposite Joe Montagna. I could go on with Broadway credits like playing the role of Mama in "Chicago" opposite Melanie Griffith, and she was awarded this and that and something else and the other thing.

She lived up to the actor/entertainer that she is by making us all laugh with her stories and then touching us with her song. Finally, after all that, Richard got up and kicked everyone out.

No, I am just kidding. He thanked us all and said nice things about the people who had just roasted him, as well as all the guests.

I then taught everyone how to sing Happy Birthday in Italian and we sang to Richard in English and Italian while his grandchildren brought out the burning cake.

Happy Birthday Richard, and remember, next year we are working on your Birthday and recording a show, with everyone being invited.

Filippo

P.S. Speaking of singing Happy Birthday, here is a song called Buon Compleanno by Irene Grandi, an Italian pop singer, that I had never heard but just found on Youtube.com that I thought might be fun to post. (In Italian)