"I didn't have a whole lot of parties growing up," Nia Long confided on Friday evening at a celebration in honor of her 40th (which doesn't happen for real until the day before Halloween). "It was mostly because, to be honest, we couldn't afford to do big, elaborate birthday parties."
How things have changed! Long's soirée, at a drool-worthy private residence on Hudson Street, was elaborate indeed: the night's program consisted of a cocktail reception and a seated dinner prepared by Chef Marcus Samuelsson (of Aquavit, Red Rooster, and Top Chef Masters). The event was brought together by Bright & Cook and Belvedere Intense Unfiltered vodka, and guests—including Abra Potkin, Robert Verdi, Bevy Smith, and producer Tonya Lewis Lee (that's Spike's wife)—sampled Belvedere cocktails specially designed for Long's birthday bash. PHOTO OF MARCUS SAMUELSSON AND NIA LONG, LEFT, COURTESY OF PICTURE GROUP.
Long even came up with the names of the drinks herself: among them "Naughty Nia," "Trini Girl," and "Massai's Mami." Massai, of course, is Long's ten-year-old son, who's been able to enjoy at least a few of the perks of being celebrity offspring: for one thing, Desperate Housewives' Doug Savant is his baseball coach. "I'm really dedicated to being a great mom... I take that very seriously. So to say the least, there are those moments where I'm like, ‘I need a drink!'" Long said.
Long looked half her age in YSL shoes, a brand-new Dolce & Gabbana black corset top, and a ruffled skirt from the Los Angeles boutique Maxine, which she said was too small when she bought it. "I did hardcore workouts for the last three weeks," Long explained. It showed.
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