5th Annual Jewish (and non) Xmas Eve in Chinatown

Keep an eye on this first post, it will be where I put attendee list, location, time, etc
CrazyC is doing the restaurant communication

Confirmed Reservations, 6 pm at Happy Chef!
Right now we have a res. for 40, but if we start running over that we'll talk to the restaurant.

CrazyC and the restaurant have worked out a set menu
The menu (we expect) will be:

Crab meat and fish maw soup
Crispy chicken
Salt and Pepper shrimp (this is a spicy dish)
Ginger Scallion Lobster
Century Egg Pea Sprouts
Double mushrooms with baby bok choy
Steamed big mouth bass
Black bean clams
Peking Pork chops
Triple Treasures in bird's nest
Eggplant and Grouper casserole
Ying Yang Fried Rice
Mango pudding fish

Cost per table of 10 is approx $180. BYOB is ok, but they do not have fancy stemware. NOTE - we will be dividing the cost evenly, so if we end up with 35 people, the cost is $180 x 4 divided by 35 people (this means, pretty much you won't pay less than $18 or more than around $25 per person)

Happy Chef
2164 S. Archer Avenue
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-3689

Running total of people - 30

Leek + Leekman + Leekmom
Cathy2 + Cathy1
Giovanna
Bruthsmirnoff
CrazyC +1
Puppy +1
MHL + Apple Pie
Mhays + crew (3)
Vinyl Endive +1
Mr. + Mrs. JLawrence01
Indianbadger
FoodHub +3
bjks2 +1
RomanticCynic +1.1

Leek,

You are the first to offer, thus you now wear the mantle as Jewish Christmas Eve Organizer.

Thank you!

Regards,

Hooray, Leek!

In the depths of a miserable project this afternoon, I found my mind wandering to something more enjoyable--like Christmas Eve in Chinatown!--and wondering if we would get together again this year. (If you saw my schedule, you would not even ask why I didn't volunteer to organize.)

Please put my name down as an interested party!

(BTW, a wandering and wondering mind do not make for good progress in completing said project.... )

OK then, here goes - no idea if it will be at LSC this year, I'm going to try for somewhere we can be that is downstairs since I'd like my mom to be able to come, and she's in a wheelchair (and they shut off the elevator after dark). Any suggestions would be welcome!

If you plan to attend, please post (or PM) name and number of attendees.

Frequently asked questions about the Jewish X-Mas Eve dinner, cribbed from last year's FAQ (which was cribbed from 2007, etc etc)

Why is it labeled "Jewish"?
Because many Jews in the US traditionally go out for Chinese food on Christmas night.

It's not kosher, is it? It's just not Chinese for Christmas is my book unless there's lots of tasty trayf
No, they're not Kosher, but not to worry -- it's per-table ordering, and anyone who wants dishes sans meat and shellfish can order as they wish.

So, why is this dinner on Christmas Eve?
The year that we started this, Chanukah and Christmas were synchronized so I [Michael] was spending Christmas night celebrating Chanukah with my family. We moved the Chinese food dinner a night earlier that year and I've come to like the idea.

Do I have to be Jewish to attend?
No, but you should be comfortable sitting next to someone who is Jewish. (Frankly, that's good advice for any LTHForum event)
Full disclosure: I [Leek] was brought up Jewish, but while I still have strong family and cultural ties, I have no more religious leanings than, say, my dogs.

How is ordering handled?
We usually break up into ad-hoc tables of 10-12. Each table is responsible for its own ordering and its own bill.

Are children welcome?
Of course.

What about parking?
Street parking is often available and many Chinatown restaurants provide a $2 coupon for the Chinatown lot at Archer and Wentworth.

Yay! Thanks, leek, for taking the reigns. Count me in.

Hi,

You could consider:

Happy Chef
2164-2166A S. Archer (in the Chinatown Mall)
Chicago, IL
312-808-3689

They throw in a free lobster or crab for every so many entrees.

Off menu item: If you ask in early in the day, they will arrange for mango gelatin fish molds. The person who makes them leaves in the early afternoon.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:You are the first to offer, thus you now wear the mantle as Jewish Christmas Eve Organizer.

There should be a special LTH Jewish Christmas Eve Organizer Yarmulke (with an embroidered pig on it, of course). Way more fun to wear than an honorific.

-Dan

Count us in -- As usual, it will probably be five of us.
Thanks leek for starting this up -- let me know if you need any assistance.

Hi,

At this moment, I plan to attend.

Please note my family's plans are still a bit wobbly, there is the potential I may have to back out.

Regards,

I would like to be included, as well!

Please add me to the list! No one does Chinese like LTH!

Me too + 1

I am interested + 1

My first LTH event

Apple Pie & I plan to join you.

--Matt

Hi,

It is looking more likely we are coming to Christmas Eve. Could you please add my Mom to the list? She is the elusive Cathy1.

Regards,

Thanks to Leek and CrazyC for organizing. Please put me down for REB + 2.

Ronna

Crazy C,

I wonder if they entertain making stuff from their Chinese New Year menu? I recall they said some stuff is on the menu all year long.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Crazy C,

I wonder if they entertain making stuff from their Chinese New Year menu? I recall they said some stuff is on the menu all year long.

Regards,

Great minds think alike! I put together a tentative menu, and included some stuff from the CNY menu... I will be dropping by later (when the weather cooperates) and finalize the menu and cost. As of now, we have reservations!

Was waiting until I heard from the non-Hays Hays, but please add 4 to the total! Mhays, Mr.Hays, Sparky, and my brother who needs to come up with his own damn screen name! Of course, we'll be picking him up from O'Hare at 3...which might mean 5...which might mean I'll keep Cathy2 informed via cell if we're running behind, but we'll be there one way or the other!

Updated the first post - viewtopic.php?p=296034#p296034 - with menu, pricing and BYO info.

Sorry to say, but it looks like we're dropping out. Our group is growing, and a large number of them want to blow out their sinuses on Tony's Chicken Crack and similar dishes. We may run into you in the Chinatown mall, but sadly we won't be at the party.

Um, could somebody clarify the pricing, since we don't seem to have the numbers we started with? Like many, we're on a tight budget this year, and need to be able to plan. What I'm wondering is the factor involving the non-10-person tables.

Count Mrs. Jlawrence01 and I in. I am sorry to wait for so long but someone had the crazy idea that we would be working to 8 pm on Christmas Eve (no kidding). Finally, I told the big guy that the last person who forced that was featured in a book and was visited by three ghosts.

My girlfriend and I would like to attend. Please put me down for two people. I'm looking forward to meeting the people whose opinion's sway my decision on supper!

Each table will be $180
Currently we have 26 people, which would make 3 tables
180x3/26=$20.75 per person

If we exactly fill our tables, which seat 10 each, the cost works out to $18 per person. If we have 22 we can probably squeeze into 2 tables, which would be $16.36 per person, though the food might be a bit light. At 22 if we broke into 3 tables it would be $24.50, and we'd probably end up with some leftovers. If we have 24 we really must do 3 tables, which would be $25.50 per person.

Mhays wrote:Um, could somebody clarify the pricing, since we don't seem to have the numbers we started with? Like many, we're on a tight budget this year, and need to be able to plan. What I'm wondering is the factor involving the non-10-person tables.

I'm completely sympathetic with your budget concerns, M.

The following would be my current expectations:

All people will pay the same amount per head (unless we subsequently agree to have "child-sized-eater" adjustments to the bill) regardless of the total number actually at their table.

If there were 20 people, that would be (2 x $180)/20 = $18.
If there were 21, that would be (3 x $180)/21 = $25.72 (let's say, $26)
If there were 25, that would be (3 x $180)/25 = $21.60 (round to $22)
If there were 29, that would be (3 x $180)/29 = $18.63 (round to $19)
If there were 30, that would be (3 x $180)/30 = $18.

(...And I also would hope, since we're ordering in 10-people units from the restaurant, that there'd be "to-go" packages afterward if we only had a few people over the 10-person-per table allocation...especially considering the lesser capacities of the kids.)

Does that correspond with CrazyC's arrangement with Happy Chef, Leek?

--Matt

mhl wrote:

Mhays wrote:Um, could somebody clarify the pricing, since we don't seem to have the numbers we started with? Like many, we're on a tight budget this year, and need to be able to plan. What I'm wondering is the factor involving the non-10-person tables.

I'm completely sympathetic with your budget concerns, M.

The following would be my current expectations:

All people will pay the same amount per head (unless we subsequently agree to have "child-sized-eater" adjustments to the bill) regardless of the total number actually at their table.

If there were 20 people, that would be (2 x $180)/20 = $18.
If there were 21, that would be (3 x $180)/21 = $25.72 (let's say, $26)
If there were 25, that would be (3 x $180)/25 = $21.60 (round to $22)
If there were 29, that would be (3 x $180)/29 = $18.63 (round to $19)
If there were 30, that would be (3 x $180)/30 = $18.

(...And I also would hope, since we're ordering in 10-people units from the restaurant, that there'd be "to-go" packages afterward if we only had a few people over the 10-person-per table allocation...especially considering the lesser capacities of the kids.)

Does that correspond with CrazyC's arrangement with Happy Chef, Leek?

--Matt

Sounds about right, Matt! Also I am assuming tables of 10 here. We can also fit 12 people to a table and just get a slightly larger portion of food or add an extra dish or 2!

HI,

I am hoping Mom2 will be joining us. Her usual Christmas Eve arrangement hasn't come to fruition yet. We will be on the fence for a while.

It is very likely a table for ten can host and feed one or two more people. Order a few extra dishes, if needed, to round off people's appetites.

Infants and toddlers eating off their parents plates qualify for a count as one. After that I wonder who really qualifies as a kid, because Apple Pie and Sparky seem to hold their own at the table.

The price range arranged by Charlotte of $18 to $25 is less than I have paid before on Christmas Eve. The most was when we went afterwards to Happy Chef for fried milk and someone threw in a crab dish.

Thanks Charlotte for help with dinner, I am sure it will be a great time.

Regards,

Sparky counts as a person...maybe a person and a half, at least from what's been happening lately at Edzo's...

FYI: I will be calling in the final number to Happy Chef on Wednesday morning at 11 am...