Thereafter, even when dining in the main space, I became Raj De Niro. I could devour a plate from the lunch buffet and pretend I was a celebrity. City Hall employees showed up all the time. One politician, along with his handler, would come in for lunch, only to sit as far away from me as possible, since he didn't want a table next to a member of the media. As a native San Jose dude, Raj finally felt a sense of accomplishment.