At one time, Seven Restaurant and Lounge on the Alameda reigned supreme for dinner and drinks in my book. Their food was seriously delish, service top-notch, and atmosphere cosmopolitan. Situated less than a block away from the Shark Tank (HP Pavillion) and a stone’s throw from downtown San Jose, it was a popular destination before a game, for a business lunch, or on a Friday or Saturday evening. I am saddened to report that this is no longer true and it appears those who used to pack the bar and tables have come to the same conclusion.
Not sure which came first: the change of ownership notification transferring into a lack of customers (from experience, many were regulars), or the lack of customers prompting the change of ownership. Either way, both were noticeable last Saturday. Shrek and I were set to meet up with his brother and sister-in-law for dinner and drinks around 7 p.m. The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the change of ownership sign posted in the window. The second was that the bar was completely empty. Third, there was no hostess to be seen and, fourth, the bartender and two servers hanging at the bar eyed us but made no attempt to greet us. Ideally, we would’ve liked to check-in for our reservation. Though, after quickly taking in the scene we realized getting a table wouldn’t be a problem and thus made our way to the bar. The bartender quickly warmed to us and apologized, claiming she didn’t realize the hostess had stepped away from her post. From her we learned that the restaurant, under new ownership, was going to be undergoing a transformation in early September. Plans are to close for a week and re-open as an(other) Asian fusion restaurant. Just what San Jose needs…. Though I’m curious and will probably check it out.
We all squeezed into a booth that is really space enough for two, maybe 3 persons, but we got cozy and made it work for four. More cocktails and crab cakes were ordered, as well as a dozen oysters on the half-shell. Various entrees, a bottle of wine, desserts, cognacs and coffees later, the general consensus was that the food was still stellar, but the service was disappointing. The hostess was just downright awkward. I personally didn’t care for my pork tenderloin entree but Shrek’s sister-in-law, who ordered the same, liked it. I took it home simply to avoid wasting $26. I figured Shrek would at least nibble on it, but I ended up discarding it four days later, still untouched. I really liked Shrek’s chicken and potatoes, though, and would order those if given the chance again.
