LTHoliday Party, 12/6, 6PM, LSC/Skokie

LTHoliday Party, 12/6, 6PM, LSC/Skokie


Chef Tony's Three Chili Chicken

Our tribe’s admiration for Lao Sze Chuan goes back to the earliest days of this board

Visits to the original Archer Avenue location inspired phrases like “chicken crack” and “plate envy,” as well as hundreds of posts with expressions of culinary joy such as:

“Lao Sze Chuan is a Chicago gem,” Gwiv

“I drive from Wisconsin for take out from Lao Sze Chuan. I take two coolers with ice to fast chill the food on the way back,” Budrichard

“THE BEST TOFU DISH EVER,” Christopher Gordon

“It stays special visit after visit,” ronnie suburban

Years ago, we wanted to have our holiday party at the Archer location, but the upstairs room didn’t seem right for us at the time. Now, with a location in Skokie, Lao Sze Chuan is where we’re celebrating our respective holidays (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, whatever) as well as the ten-year anniversary of LTHForum.com.

The menu is a list of greatest hits:
1. Ma Po tofu*
2. Lamb with cumin
3. Crispy shrimp w/ lemon sauce
4. Chef Tony's three chili chicken
5. Szechuan string bean*
6. Twice cooked pork Szechuan style
7. Boiled beef in spicy Sze Chuan sauce
8. Szechuan pickle chile fish fillets
9. Chinese broccoli sautéed garlic sauce*
10. Eggplant Peking style*

* Vegetarian


Ma Po Tofu

Tickets are set at $37.50 (plus a small transaction fee). That total price includes dinner, tax, and tip. You can bring your own booze (no corkage fee). As in years past, all ticket sales will go through Brown Paper Tickets. Just go to the site (below) and enter your information. Ticket sales close at noon, December 5. Once you’ve paid, we’ll get updates from Brown Paper Tickets and we’ll enter your name on the guest list. Seating is limited to 100. Tickets are non-refundable though they are transferrable, so if you buy a ticket and your plans change, you can sell your ticket to another member of the LTH community. If you do sell your ticket, please let us know who you sold it to.

We've tried to keep the price down here, and as a further bonus, this event will be BYOB (or you can buy drinks there).

BUY TICKETS HERE: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/930421

Once you’ve paid, we’ll get updates from Brown Paper Tickets and we’ll enter your name on the guest list below:

1. Catherine Lambrecht
2. Carolyn Berg
3. David Hammond
4. stevez
5. Chowpoodle
6. Glenn Panner
7. Guest of Glenn Panner, 1
8. Guest of Glenn Panner, 2
9. NR706
10. Moetchandon
11. ronnie_suburban
12. julie_suburban
13. JoelF
14. SueF
15. EvA
16. Cabbagehead
17. Irisarbor
18. Irisarbor + 1
19. Irisarbor + 1
20. Irisarbor + 1
21. mamagotcha
22. chouxfly
23. Gypsyboy
24. Gypsyboy + 1
25. nukegirl
26. nukegirl + 1
27. PieLady
28. justjoan
29. Cookie Monster
30. peedee
31. rtbrown23
32. Hellodali
33. SwingBossa
34. RAB
35. REB
36. tarte tatin
37. JimInLoganSquare
38. Mrs. JimInLoganSquare
39. mbh
40. mbh + 1
41. Octarine
42. fifille
43. boudreaulicious
44. Sean Scott
45. Roberta Jacobs
46. Contessa de Goober
47. Pairs4Life
48. Alistair, Mr. Pairs4Life
49. Tim L
50. Ellen F
51. Toria
52. Frank
53. Laura L.
54. boborigmy
55. Mrs. boborigmy
56. mbh + 1
57. lazygal09
58. Ellen F's Son
59. mhl
60. fropones
61. fropones + 1
62. Laikom
63. Teresa
64. edc
65. Sue, guest of edc
66. bean
67. petite_gourmande
68. Earnest Christmas
69. Earnest Christmas + 1
70. jazzfood
71. pudgym29
72. Frank P
73.mbh + 1
74. helen


Many of us are aware of the legal issues that have been in the news about several Chinatown restaurants. We’ve always admired owner/chef Tony Hu and his many restaurants, but if for some reason this event has to be cancelled or rescheduled, ticket holders will receive a full refund on the ticket price.

The Gift Exchange has been a part of our yearly celebrations since we held our first such event at Klas. If you want, please bring a food-related raffle item. For the raffle/gift exchange, all gifts go into a pool and names are drawn. If you do bring a gift, you get a ticket and are guaranteed one gift in exchange. We’ve set the price for each gift around $15. Please don't wrap the gift -- we like to see what people are winning before they win it -- but please do put your name (real name or screen name or both) on the gift so that lucky winners know who to thank.

Give back. Mamagotcha has graciously agreed to collect items for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She'll be posting a list downthread of the items she knows are needed this time of year. Just bring them to the party and we'll make sure they get to people who need them.


The LTHoliday Party will be held on December 6, from 6pm to 10pm, at Lao Sze Chuan, 9434 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 847-677-4262.


Crispy Shrimp with Lemon Sauce

If anybody is able to offer transportation from the near north side of Chicago, please PM me.

thanks,

b.

Thank you so much for all your work on the holiday party, David and Cathy!

This year, as in previous years, the beneficiary of our food drive will be the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The most-needed items are as follows:

• Tuna
• Canned Beans
• Peanut Butter
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned Chili
• Canned Soup
• Pasta Sauce
• Stew
• Jelly

(Other items are of course welcome, but please nothing perishable or crushable.)

And, as always, cash or checks (made out to the Greater Chicago Food Depository) will also be gratefully accepted.

This is always such a joyful job... LTHers are always so generous with their knowledge and experience on the board, and it's absolutely lovely to witness how generous they are in person as well. You all rock, and thank you in advance for your kindness.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the food drive, and I can't wait to see you all at the party!

I'm in for 2, please!

Thanks,

=R=

Oh I've got a golden ticket (two actually - Me, and SueF)

Cabbagehead and I wouldn't miss it! Tickets purchased.

Put me down for 1, tentatively 2. Hooray!

Me please.

Oh, and while I very much appreciate the notation as to vegetarian dishes, would it be too much to ask about the relative spiciness level? It's not an issue for me but might well be for some other folks out there that like the food but not the heat....

Just to make sure it was clear in the announcement, we can put your name on the list after you've purchased tickets from Brownpapertickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/930421

GB/Dave, good thought about the spiciness, and I think the best people to speak to that would be those who know this menu well. Ronnie, Steve, C2, can you help out here?

I just paid for two, under the name of Katje Sabin, for mamagotcha and chouxfly. Can't wait!

David Hammond wrote:GB/Dave, good thought about the spiciness, and I think the best people to speak to that would be those who know this menu well. Ronnie, Steve, C2, can you help out here?

There's not much on the menu list that I would consider especially spicy. The only two dishes that might challenge someone who is spice averse would be the Boiled beef in spicy Sze Chuan sauce and possibly the Ma Po Tofu or Szechuan pickle chile fish fillets. If we are served the spicy cabbage as an amuse, that can pack a sneaky heat as well. The twice coked pork Szechuan style sounds like it could be spicy, but in my experience, it's usually not.

Tickets purchased for all of us!
The reasonable cost has allowed us to bring along some offspring!

I am echoing GB thoughts- I am hoping there will be a spectrum of spice/heat.
I know the "chicken crack' will be off the charts, but we are not really "Dave's Insanity" kind of eaters......

irisarbor wrote:I know the "chicken crack' will be off the charts, but we are not really "Dave's Insanity" kind of eaters......

It actually isn't. It's way more sweet than hot. There should be a good mix of spicy and non-spicy.

=R=

Thanks Ron and Steve for the spiciness report. I was familiar with some dishes but not all. And since LSC Skokie is in our regular rotation, we're BOTH excited. I actually got an assent from the Lovely Dining Companion. So it will be two of us and, yes, I'm about to go pay.

Thanks to all for such a poifekt selection.


PS Paid!

Perhaps there will be an update later on, but what are the drink/alcohol arrangements?
BYOB possible?

irisarbor wrote:Perhaps there will be an update later on, but what are the drink/alcohol arrangements?
BYOB possible?

Yes. Can't believe we didn't include that. It's BYOB...or you can buy booze there.

irisarbor wrote:Perhaps there will be an update later on, but what are the drink/alcohol arrangements?
BYOB possible?

Yes, BYO (no corkage) is totally ok. Hammond mentioned this in his intial post.

Thanks,

=R=

David Hammond wrote:

irisarbor wrote:Perhaps there will be an update later on, but what are the drink/alcohol arrangements?
BYOB possible?

Yes. Can't believe we didn't include that. It's BYOB...or you can buy booze there.

You did!

=R=

Once again, a victim of the ooooolllld eyes

irisarbor wrote:Once again, a victim of the ooooolllld eyes

Actually, I put the BYOB comment in AFTER you posted, so don't blame your ooooolllld eyes (or mine, ).

Wow, that's an impressive menu. I'm bummed to be missing this, but I'll be driving back from a speaking engagement in Iowa. I don't know if I'd be back in time. Hope you all have a fabulous time -- and splendid holidays in general.

HI,

For the raffle, Culinary Historians of Chicago is donating a signed copy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi.

Regards,

Just purchased two for SwingBossa and me. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Hellodali,

Glad you are in, because now I have a team member for the raffle.

irisarbor is in, too, which means a themed gingerbread house perhaps?

Regards,

I'm in! Will purchase my ticket when i get a chance later this afternoon....

PS. TICKET JUST PURCHASED! My mouth is watering already....

I'm thinking, but it's a slight challenge as we just did Chinese...
So it needs to be different, but still inspired
...

I'll be there plus a friend, tickets just purchased. Cathy2, if you need any help with anything just ask.

mbh wrote:Cathy2, if you need any help with anything just ask.

ditto

nr706 wrote:

mbh wrote:Cathy2, if you need any help with anything just ask.

ditto

Thanks, nr706 and mbh.

Presently, we are in the bean counting phase of collecting reservations and later making name tags.

I am pretty sure I will take your offer at the party.

Thanks!

Regards,