India comes to Castro Valley

Your Boulevardier, accompanied by mon petit chou, visited the new restaurant in Castro Village, Aroma Cuisine of India, last Friday night. The food was enjoyed and a good time was had. Your Boulevardier is not a restaurant reviewer, but will attempt to describe the visit.

The restaurant was full of patrons upon our arrival at 7:00 p.m.. We had no reservation, so the host escorted us to the adjacent patio and offered hot, spicy chai tea. Eventually a small table was made available toward the rear of the restaurant. The crowd appeared to be a fairly typical cross-section of Castro Valley restaurant diners: mostly Caucasian, mostly older, not without means. (We noted with pleasure that among our fellow diners were a few same-sex couples.)

The table was small and clean (as was the entire restaurant) and the chairs and lighting were comfortable. Indian art and live plants decorated the room. The piped-in music was the only atmospheric element that seemed a bit off-theme. Dishes ordered included Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken in tomato-curry-yogurt sauce), Dal Tarka (lentil puree), Raita (yogurt condiment), and warm Nan (puffy flatbread). A large Taj Mahal beer (brewed in India) and a small Maharaja beer (brewed in New York, promised as the best beer in the world, and proffered with a money-back guarantee) also were consumed.

The dishes were beautifully prepared, simply presented (on stainless steel platters) and delicious. The service was attentive and friendly. While the meal was not inexpensive ($38.33 including tax but not tip) it was well worth it.

After the meal, mukhwas -- candied seeds, eaten as a digestif -- were offered. These are found in a rack near the cash register. Simply scoop a small bit into your hand with the provided spoon and pop it into your mouth for a pleasant breath-freshener.

Mon petit chou knew much better than Your Boulevardier how to navigate an Indian dining experience, and gratitude is offered for her kind assistance. A tip of the beret goes to Aroma Cuisine of India.

Banking Crisis hits Castro Valley

Your Boulevardier is concerned about banks in Castro Valley. Specifically, he is concerned about his favorite building in town.




The former World Savings, now a branch of Wachovia, is a lovely, interesting building. Note how the roof floats lightly above the nearly-all-glass structure. Admire the gentle curve of the roof -- it evokes Ancient Greece, in Your Boulevardier's eye. Pop inside sometime and admire the spidery sculpture hanging from the ceiling. (For security reasons, bank employees generally frown on people photographing the insides of their offices; thus, no interior image is supplied here.)

Wachovia, of course, is in financial trouble. Citibank and Wells Fargo are gunning for it. Whichever bank wins, it is doubtful that they will take over this lovely building. It's a prime location but doubtless commands a commensurate price. The building itself has a few problems -- inability to expand, few spots for ATMs, and (if one remembers correctly) some structural problems with the roof that were addressed a few years ago.

Meanwhile, neither Citi nor Wells Fargo are known, at least in Castro Valley, for their interest in real estate. Citi exists in what may be the worst building in town, at the corner of Santa Maria and the Boulevard; it is unattractive, dirty, windowless, somewhat hostile and bunker-like, and has entirely inadequate parking and auto access. Compare that with Wachovia.




In Castro Valley, Wells Fargo is located in a strip mall. Perhaps that's enough said.




Castro Valley will have to wait to see how the chips fall. Fingers are crossed that the lovely building anchoring the corner of Redwood Road and Castro Valley Boulevard will keep its intended use -- as a financial institution -- or will find a new and suitable purpose.

(Note: photos of Citibank and Wells Fargo have been added and text has been tweaked.)