It was spitting when Paul and I left the house around 1 pm yesterday so we mall walked instead. We went to Brentwood to look at the new mall, and it’s actually very nice and pleasantly accessible. We ate at Cazba, having the chicken platter and shirazi salad (which is actually a late addition to Iranian cuisine thanks to the introduction of the tomato during the Qajar period). It was spendy as hell but the chicken was done over a grill and it was very nom, and my body kept encouraging me to finish the salad, it was so tasty, fresh and healthy. We were back home in a couple of hours after walking all over the joint and checking out the spots where the old mall and the new mall have been joined up. Personally I really like the new food court which is not completely full yet but it was funny listening to Paul feel sorry for the retailers because he said “Malls are dead, they were dying before this pandemic,” and we walked mostly in silence past covered shop window, after covered shop window. Some of the old merchants like Purdy’s and the banks and phone kiosks, and Daniadown are still there, but the smoke shop/post office (to my sadness) was gone, and whether in the old part of the mall or the new there were lots of signs saying who was moving in and a lot of empty shops. One thing about Brentwood hasn’t changed though, the fucking surface parking is a disaster zone; we went all the way to the southern Beta Street exit to find a goddamned parking spot.
There are enough seats all around the new Brentwood and even the outdoor ones are the kind you can stretch out on (they are all backless). I saw a lot of people with strollers and in powered wheelchairs, and at the base of the walkway there’s a little nook with comfy chairs and a fireplace – which was jammed with people using the wifi. That’s also close to a place called the Rec Room which uses their smart phones to track guests as they play on a wide assortment of games. Not exactly pandemic friendly but they’re checking IDs and vaxx status.
Unfortunately all those hard surfaces did a number on my joints and by the time 6:30 rolled around I felt like I’d been wheelbarrowed across cobbles for a while. Had a lousy night of sleep.
