Here honey, have a dumpling

(JOANNA WEISS)

Who Globe writer Joanna Weiss and her 3-year-old daughter, Ava
What Chinese dining
Where Chau Chow, 699 William T. Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester

If you're looking for family togetherness on a Saturday night, what better activity could there be than food? Yet restaurants can be a stressful experience for parents of preschoolers: It's hard to enjoy your meal when you're policing a small child who only wants to serenade you with the Wiggles' greatest hits.

But we've found a solution: the giant Chinese restaurant. The massive eateries in Chinatown are always great fun, but for a Saturday night, our favorite is the sprawling Chau Chow on Dorchester's Morrissey Boulevard. Here, the focus is on community, not quiet: On any given night, the place is filled with large families, ensuring that our little one isn't the only one doing laps around her table. In one corner, giant tanks filled with fish, crabs, shrimp, and lobster offer better entertainment than TV. You just might have to do some euphemistic explaining if a waiter comes by with a net.

As for the food itself, Chau Chow is divine. (For adults, I recommend the spicy salt-baked anything.) We're lucky to have an adventurous eater on our hands; she'll try just about anything as long as she doesn't see a pepper flake. But even the pickiest child can find something to love. A spaghetti-monger? Introduce him to lo mein! A pizza nut? Slip him a scallion pancake! And trust me: There's no way to underestimate a kiddie's fascination with a piece of baby corn. [Joanna Weiss]