Month: August 2008

Flavors India Bistro Arrives In Style

Time to celebrate!  An Indian restaurant has finally opened in the Village, and it’s really good food.

Flavors India Bistro has taken up residence in the Montclair Plaza building (map), where the old Village Dog used to be.  It took the new occupants a while to renovate, and I think it was worth their effort.

Yesterday, I ordered a late lunch at Flavors.  The service was very nice and sufficiently fast, and I hung out for a while with my mushroom mattar curry and rice.  I ordered this as medium spicy and there was a nice kick.

Flavors is a full-service restaurant with the expected variety, from naan to kheer.  All the veggie, tandoor, chicken, lamb, seafood and tandoori bread options will require repeat visits.  Since the prices aren’t too high, I’ll be adding this to my repertoire for sure.

Have you tried Flavors elsewhere?  There are two other outlets which are well-reviewed on Yelp.  The Rockridge spot has 72 reviews and garners 4/5 stars, while the newer Lakeshore location registers 88 reviews and 3.5/5 stars.  This is a place that appeals to a wide variety of palates.

The Montclair Flavors is opened from 11:30am – 9:30pm (and closed Tuesdays).  Since there are only a few tables, I would arrive before or after typical lunch-dinner hours.  Otherwise, call 510-338-0553 to place take-out orders.  Parking is conveniently located in the metered lot, right by the entrance.

Visit the Alps In Oakland – Sunday at 1pm

Come check out an Oakland tradition tomorrow, when the Schuhplattlers Dance Group and Internationals Band perform at Biergartenfest 2008.

Hosted by the German Tourist Club, the Fest takes place at the Nature Friends’ headquarters, 3115 Butters Drive (map).  The celebration begins Sunday at 1pm, with $10 donations requested to cover food and beverages.  Kids are free.

The Schuhplattlers will perform German folk dances, which they have been doing for over 50 years!  Check out these photos, with the costumed dancers from 1957, 1980 and today.

Besides the dancing and music, this celebration is an early Oktoberfest too.  The outdoor biergarten will serve German brews along with sausages, pork chops and more – so come with an hearty appetite.

The annual Biergartenfest is taking place at Nature Friends, which seeks to “foster, perpetuate and preserve the European Alpine social activities, cultural heritage and customs.”  They also encourage berg frei or freedom in the mountains, and maintain a Donner Pass lodge.

Why not visit the Alps in Oakland?  Our local Germans offer a taste of Alpine bierseligkeit (that’s beer guzzling merriment) and traditional entertainment, tomorrow in our hills.

At Least Montclair Makes The Grade

Montclair’s Mountain and Antioch intersection makes the grade!  We’re one of the 18 Defining Intersections in Oakland, according to the latest issue of Oakland Magazine.  This spot really is our city-center, where you run into everyone just by hanging out.

Our intersection is described as a “crucial crossroads” where the benches are always full.  There are a few tips of the hat to yesteryear, including the historic Julia Morgan-designed Hansel and Gretel firehouse down the street.  (Speaking of which, we have to decide what to do with that place.)

Sometimes I am concerned that old Montclair is a dowager and not sufficiently hip compared to other Oakland burgs.  It’s a reliable, steady-eddy kind of village.  It’s very easy to live here.  But a destination for others beyond the locals?  Not so much.

We earned respect because there is a basic character to the Village that’s grown organically over time.  The Village has been settled, period.  There’s no super-gentrification and no new stucco overhaul except for the Lucky Supermarket (nee Albertsons) below.

Besides Montclair, three of our nearby neighbors made the grade.  I’m not surprised that Rockridge, Piedmont and even little Glenview are included in the intersections – they all are pretty nice alternatives when we want to leave our village for a little dining, movie or what have you.

Anyway, I’m sort of proud of the article because it lists the typical places Montclarions go to eat, shop, exercise and run errands.  The simple, walkable village is a dying breed but we still have one.  I guess it doesn’t matter that we don’t attract much attention, but this recognition feels right.