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Metro's Club of the Week Blue Tattoo 170 W. St. John St., San Jose; 408.286.1515; www.bluetattoosj.com Opens June 19 By Todd Inoue Remember Club St. John and Hamburger Mary's? The site of the South Bay's dominant gay club and eatery of the '90s lived out its last gasp as Club Ecco before lying dormant for the past couple of years. The spot is about to reopen with new structural improvements and music format. It's called Blue Tattoo. The club has been remodeled with four separate rooms that will bump house, down-tempo, R&B and commercial hip-hop. Blue Tattoo will serve lunch, dinner and Sunday brunches and, according to owner Eric DeBlasi, deliver the best happy hour in Silicon Valley. He's talking about an oyster bar and a margarita bar, where 50 different margaritas can be made. Inside, there'll be martini bars and the biggest spread of after-work delectables in the South Bay. DiBlasi is behind clubs like Ibiza (featured on Wild on E!), Southern California's Margarita Rocks and, until two years ago, the Limelight in Mountain View. He wants to funnel elements of his various club experiences across Blue Tattoo's 20,000 square feet. Asked what attracted him to the spot, DiBlasi says, "It was the uniqueness of the building and brick and wood floors. The way it's separated into four different rooms, you can do banquets, different music formats. It's a unique building." Reminded of the venue's Club St. John past, DiBlasi says that Blue Tattoo will bring back the Wednesday gay nights in late August and early September. June 19 is the working opening date, but the grand opening, "when the mayor comes down and cuts the ribbon," is still being planned. DiBlasi is a big thinker, and that's a welcome trait in our often downcast nightclub scene. Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]