Chopsticks and Chinese food for Christmas Chopsticks and Chinese food for Christmas (December 22, 2004)

Beef broccoli roasting on an open fire, wontons nipping at your nose ... who says Jews don't have a festive Yuletide?

In fact, many American Jewish families have a hallowed tradition on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day: going to the movies, and hitting a Chinese restaurant for dinner. (Really, what else is there to do?)

Honoring this ritual, an annual "ChopShticks" event combines a Chinese dinner with a comedy show at Ming's restaurant in Palo Alto on the evenings of December 24 and 25. This year, a third event has been added on December 26 because the first two nights sold out quickly in the past, event producer Gloria Goldblatt said.

The evenings begin at 6:30 p.m. with a no-host cocktail and schmoozing hour. A family-style dinner follows, along with a show from comedians Brian Malow and Eddie Brill.

Tickets are $60, with some of the proceeds benefiting the Jewish Coalition for Literacy, which trains and sponsors volunteer reading tutors in public schools; Jewish Children and Family Services, which provides a variety of social services; and Campus for Jewish Life, the future home of the Palo Alto Jewish Community Center and other community groups.

Reservations are required, and attendees must be 16 or over. Ming's is located at 1700 Embarcadero Road.

For more information, call 947-1280 or go to www.chopshticks.com.

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