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.
Shrek ordered a double Vodka Cranberry and Sweet Potato Fries while I enjoyed their signature Seven Cocktail and a crab cake - both of which I've ordered in the past and are still excellent. (Side note: my mom makes phenomenal FRESH crab cakes (see photos) so I am pretty picky when it comes to my approving them. These are on par.) The brother and sister-in-law eventually joined us and we, again, attempted to check-in for our reservation. This time the hostess was present behind the podium, but she was sitting with her head down, engrossed in a book. After exchanging looks with one another, someone finally asked if the reading was any good. We were quickly seated.
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.
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.
If you decide to check this place out before it's gone (for the food, I'm assuming), I recommend ordering Shrek's chicken and mashed potatoes dish followed by the creme broulee. Oh, and crab cakes to start, of course! All three of these courses were great. It's really a shame about the service. Though, I think perhaps the new owners are partially to blame. Each employee who spoke of the transition mentioned not knowing where they fit come September and, unfortunately, it showed. It's like they'd already checked-out.
Though I hate to write this, for the price and if I get a say next time, I'm pushing to dine someplace else. Even with splitting the bill between couples, we walked out minus $160 less what we had at the start of the evening. That's the equivalent of groceries for at least a week right there! I don't mind splurging on special occasions, but I would at least like to anticipate going back again - or at least look forward to the leftovers!
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Addendum. Please note: this is an unbiased review of a restaurant from a semi-regular customer's point of view. When $300+ is spent on dinner for four, I expect to pay top dollar for great food, which we got and which I expressed. But I also expect great service, which we did not. For me, dining out is 50% food and 50% the experience. Hopefully someone with a vested interest in the restaurant and the authority to make changes will read it and make the necessary changes for it to be a favorite dining destination of mine, once again. Thanks for reading
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