How do you keep a 50th birthday party a surprise when more than 300 people are invited? Just ask Mike Plank, who pulled it off for wife Susan's big 5-0 at the House of Blues Thursday night.

He told her he was having a little dinner for 30 or so of their friends and that he was handling all the arrangements. Well, the glamorous and poised Susan Plank was completely surprised when she walked into the Music Hall and found several hundred celebrants already into full boogie mode. It was free-flowing libations (three open bars and a very busy martini station) and bountiful food (everything from beef carving stations to sushi bars).

And what a mix of Houston movers and shakers. If you weren't there Thursday night, you were nowhere. Radio talk show host and Clear Channel honcho Michael Berry and his wife, attorney Nandita Berry, mixed it up with the crowd that included jeweler and New Orleans transplant Franco Valobra, baseball great Jeff Bagwell and Ericka, oil tycoon Tracy Krohn, Forbes billionaire Jeff Hildebrand and Mindy, Susman Godfrey partner Max Tribble and Brittney, developer Giorgio Borlenghi and Cathy, Nabors Industries major domo Tony Petrello and Cynthia and on and on.

After several hours of high-level schmoozing, Mike presented a photo video of his wife. Anyone who was not already madly in love with Susan before the slide show surely was by the end of the visual chronicle of one beautiful woman's life. After a few happy words from Mike and the singing of "Happy Birthday," led by Bubba McNeely, the curtains opened to reveal the Fab Four, a Beatles tribute band, onstage. From that moment, the dance floor was packed.

Among those shakin' it up baby were Ursaline and Darryl Hamilton, Todd Ramos, Nancy and Jack Dinerstein, Holly Waltrip, Ann and Don Short, Susan and Dick Hansen, Kimberly and Frank DeLape, Anne and Noble Carl, Debbie and Rudy Festari, Courtney and Bo Hopson, Elaine Block and Dennis O'Rourke and Cindi and Dr. Franklin Rose.

Off to the races

More than a few Houstonians are spending the weekend in Louisville for Kentucky Derby partying. And even a handful are there to work, well if you call schmoozing with top-rung national hospitality clients tough duty. That would be Patrick Henry of Patrick Henry Promotions, who is entertaining clients aboard his personal train cars — a domed lounge car and a passenger sleeper car. The cars rolled out of Houston last week but before they began the journey to Kentucky, Henry hosted a party aboard the cars for his staff and friends.

Others headed to the Derby — strictly for pleasure — include Jeanie Kilroy and a private jet load of friends — Rose Cullen, Neely and Randy Risher, Dina and Bob Livermore and Denise Bush Bahr and Philip Bahr. Kilroy had had a horse expected to run at Churchill Downs on Saturday but he was scratched on Wednesday due to an injury. Janice and Bob McNair, big racing fans sometimes with a contender in the race, are Kentucky Derby regulars as well.

Kilory and the Bahrs both have horses at Lane's End, the swank horse farm owned by native Houstonian Will Farish. Denise Bush Bahr happily reports that their mare, Philly's Philly, just gave birth to a female colt.

Celebrating Miya

Channel 13 newshound Miya Shay, born in China, was sworn in as a U.S. citizen earlier this year and in a belated celebration of that milestone, Cindy Clifford, David Bray and Jason Fuller, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's regional director, threw her a party at the Clifford/Bray home in Montrose. Shay immigrated from China with her parents when she was 8 years old and spoke not a word of English. She's come a long way, baby.

The party hosts decided to make it an all-American themed party with a red, white and blue dress code and purely-American food. Clifford reports that she and Bray spent the day running all over town picking up James Coney Island hot dogs, Little Bigs sliders, fried chicken, pasta salads from Central Market, cupcakes, and apple and cherry pies. Guests washed the fare down with American beer, Coke in small bottles and wines from Oregon and California.

Joining the Citizenship Celebration were more than 60 well-wishers including Robert Sakowitz, Gordon Bethune with Jessica Rossman, City Councilwoman Melissa Noriega, Channel 13 meteorologist Casey Curry, Miya's squeeze Matt Young, State Rep. Carol Alvarado, Harris County Tax Assessor Collector Leo Vasquez with SuZanne Feather and Fulbright & Jaworski partner Neil Thomas.

No beer pong

But there was a serious beer tasting at Saint Arnold Brewing Co.'s new brewery just north of downtown earlier this week when Silver Eagle Distributors major domo John Nau treated board members, in town for a board of directors meeting, to a beer and cheese tasting. The gathering began with a tour of the new facility guided by Brock Wagner, one of Saint Arnold's founders.

Then came the sampling — five locally-produced cheeses from Houston Dairymaids and five of Saint Arnold's fine brews.

The tasting guests included Bobbie Nau, Victoria and Parker Johnson, Roxann Neumann, Philip Grone of Springfield, Va.; Norb Cole of San Antonio; Clay Johnson of Washington D.C.; Andy Stepanian; Barksdale Collins of Atlanta; and Paul Jornayvaz.

Sight 'ems

Dancie Ware and Jeff Cohen lunching at La Griglia where the heavy-duty noon-time crowd included Elyse Lanier, Jason Fertitta, Randy Fertitta, Celina Hellmund, Gail Gross, Suzy Rutherford and Franelle Rogers at various tables . . .

Texans wide receiver Owen Daniels dining at Mo's . . . A Place for Steaks, also Cincinnati Reds coach Dusty Baker . . .

Neal Hamil with Debbie Festari among the notables filling the lunch tables at La Griglia this week. The mix has included Walter Burnap, Ken Wise, Ericka Bagwell and Sam Malone.