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Photograph by Jeff Kearns
The Bold Knight isn't just a banquet hall anymore--it's the home of Brindavin, a restaurant serving north Indian cuisine. In April, owner Maria Kinard opened the business inside the catering facility.
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Indian couple brings spice to Bold Knight
By KELLE SCHILLACI
Maria Kinard may be an old pro when it comes to throwing a large feast in her Bold Knight banquet facility, but she has recently turned her attention to serving up fabulous Northern Indian cuisine in her new restaurant, Brindavin, as well.
"People are confused," she says. "They think we have become just a restaurant, but we are actually both. We still coordinate large banquets and wedding parties, but now we also serve lunch and dinner at the restaurant."
And they do that with passion.
Kinard has been perfecting the subtleties of Indian cooking for decades, since her early days in Saudi Arabia and Yemen to her more recent business ventures in San Francisco and Carmel.
In 1995, she and her husband William took ownership of the Bold Knight, a large banquet facility in Sunnyvale, which has been catering to wedding parties and large corporate affairs for over 30 years.
But as well as the banquet and catering business did, the business-savvy couple soon realized that what most South Bay residents really want is a "good, quick lunch." Emphasis is on the quick.
According to the Kinards' philosophy, it shouldn't come at the expense of quality. Thus, the couple decided to expand their facility to include a separate restaurant, which opened last April.
"It's our mission to serve the freshest ingredients in our cuisine," she explained, "Nothing frozen is ever used, and we try not to offer too many dishes, so each menu item is very high quality."
A pro when it comes to spice combos, Kinard might be considered a culinary chemist with the cumin, cardamom and curry. House specialties include the popular lunch buffet ($6.95), the vindaloo with chicken, lamb or veggies, and the more complicated lamb peshawari infused with five different nuts and raisins. They also feature their own rich, homemade cheeses.
"Northern Indian cuisine is hard to explain," Maria said. "There is not a lot of cream, butter or salt, so you have to work hard to get the right flavor without getting too spicy."
The vegetarian vindaloo, she warns, features some pretty spicy potatoes. A stickler for high standards, the Kinards took great care in hiring their chef, a well-known culinary artist with more than 25 years' experience.
But still, Maria herself proudly dons her own apron, and there's no place she'd rather be than in the kitchen.
"I'm in the kitchen because I want to be there," she says, explaining her self-appointed role behind the counter.
Kinard laments over "how hard it is to find good kitchen workers."
But perhaps that's because she's a perfectionist.
"High quality is our basic intention, and what we serve our guests is very important," she explained. "We don't want to throw just any food on the table."
Simple enough notion. Too bad not all restaurants hold to such high standards.
Brindavin is within the Bold Knight at 767 Mathilda, just off the 101 Freeway, and is open daily from 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m for lunch and from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. For more information, call 245-8777.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
