Friends of Absolute Empress Marlena (aka Gary Mclain) celebrated the 84th birthday of the local icon at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley on November 12, across the street from Brass Tacks, the bar formerly known as Marlena's from 1990 to 2013.
Organized for several years by William Buckley (Emperor 48 After Norton) the party included a beautiful chocolate cake, champagne and soft drinks, and a lot of friends of Marlena, along with their dogs.
Dressed in a black bonnet, a smart cerulean shirt, and a peacock broche with matching rings, Mclain said, "I've known some of these people for almost fifty years. I love them."
Asked about the new Brass Tacks, which replaced Marlena's in 2013, Mclain complimented the new owners' success. "And I still live upstairs. I'm not going anywhere."
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