December 18-24, 2003

mixpicks

Vodka & Latka Hanukkah Cocktail Party

What goes best with fried potato pancakes? It depends on whom you ask. Every Jewish family squabbles around this time of year -- my grandmother says applesauce and my mother says sour cream. But I know better: martinis. Lots of extra-dirty, extra-olive martinis.

Hanukkah is called the "festival of lights," and back in ancient times, light came from oil lamps. Long story short, a group of Jews ran out of oil to light a really important lamp that had to stay lit day in and day out. They were convinced that the oil would only last for a day, but it wound up lasting for eight. So now during the eight days of Hanukkah, Jews light candles -- and eat a whole lot of fried foods. That brings us back to those potato pancakes -- which are made from grated potatoes, eggs and matzo meal and fried until golden brown. You can eat all you want at the Vodka & Latka Party -- the city's hottest, hippest Hanukkah happening. The Collaborative, a nonprofit group of young Jewish professionals and students, will be serving up cocktails and potato pancakes at this year's Hanukkah cocktail party, which will be held in a private room at L'Hexagone. There will be menorah lighting and dreidel spinning (for gelt -- chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil). I take my latkas crispy and my martinis shaken, not stirred

Vodka & Latka Hanukkah Cocktail Party, Sun., Dec. 21, 6-9 p.m., $7, L’Hexagone, 1718 Sansom St., 215-446-3031, www.thecollaborative.org.

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