Rose Garden Resident
News
Dining scene to undergo big changes along The Alameda
By Mary Gottschalk
The dining and drinking scene on The Alameda is likely to change over the next few months.
Diane Chang-Laurent hopes to open a wine bar she's calling Wine Affairs at 1435 The Alameda, next to the Towne Theatre.
"It will be a wine bar and retail shop with some appetizer food served," Chang-Laurent says.
"I want to provide classes to educate people about wine and food pairings and teach people how to taste wine."
Operating a wine bar is a career change for Chang-Laurent, who has been working in high-tech marketing and sales.
The travel and hours involved in her job are at odds with her desire to spend more time with her son, who turns 2 in April.
Chang-Laurent says she is a certified sommelier. As she works toward opening her business, she has been doing wine consulting for friends and organizing private wine and cheese parties.
When she saw the space, Chang-Laurent says, "I fell in love with that building and the community. I think it's a great place for my dream of a wine bar."
George Bianchi, owner of the property, says he's had many calls about the location since For Your Journey closed in October 2005, but didn't consider any of them a good fit until Chang-Laurent.
"I spend a lot of time on The Alameda, and things are moving in a positive direction," Bianchi says.
"I think the area demographics will support this type of usage. I personally look for a place like that at night after a show, and there's not a lot to offer in this area."
Bianchi says he feels he can directly impact the future of The Alameda by his choice of tenants.
"I think this would be a great addition to The Alameda and work well in the long term," he says.
Chang-Laurent says, "If everything goes well, I'm shooting for a July 15 opening. The permit process takes forever."
She filed her application for a planned development permit on March 5, and it is still in the review stages.
A date for a community meeting is expected to be set shortly.
Tee Nee Thai
Just a few doors down at 1423 The Alameda, in the window of Tutuzzo's is a public notice for an application to sell beer and wine by Tee Nee Thai Restaurant.
Mike McPherson of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency says the owners of the House of Siam in downtown San Jose are behind Tee Nee Thai. They have drawn up plans for a new façade to replace the signature red, green and white tiles and Tutuzzo's signs across the front.
Property owner Gaetano Pignataro opened the original Tutuzzo's in 1989, giving it his childhood nickname.
Although patrons raved about the tiramisu created by Pignataro's late wife Frances, the restaurant closed, reopened and closed several times over the years.
In the fall of 2005, it was resurrected once again by Dan Herrera, who kept the name and hired noted chef Robert Brust.
Herrera and Brust parted company; patrons complained about poor service and items listed on the menu being unavailable, and Tutuzzo's went dark again in 2006.
The posting of the beer and wine application by Tee Nee on March 27 has engendered positive comments among the more than 250 members of the Shasta Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association e-mail list, along with promises of patronage.
However, it's not a done deal, as some issues are unresolved between the owners of House of Siam and landlord Pignataro.
American fare
Nearby Ho Mei Do at 1285 The Alameda has signs on the door and in the window saying it is closed for vacation, but few patrons expect it to reopen. The telephone has been disconnected, and brown paper now covers the windows.
The owner declined several requests to talk over the past several weeks, saying he didn't want to discuss what was happening until everything was finalized.
The staff was less reticent, telling long-time patrons that the Chinese restaurant is closing, to be replaced by one serving American fare.
Crema
Closer to downtown at 950 The Alameda, the sign promising Crema Coffee Roasting Company as "coming soon" has been up for weeks, but the coffee shop still hasn't opened, and the owner isn't returning calls.
Situated in the former home of Radiator Depot, Crema will be the latest addition to coffeehouses along The Alameda, joining Bay Street Coffee Company at 754 The Alameda and the Peet's and Starbucks sitting across The Alameda from one another on the corners of Hanchett Avenue and W. Julian Street.
The Alameda isn't currently a restaurant row on par with some other areas of Silicon Valley, but it's got a good start if the planned food and beverage venues open.
