Stump adds Willow Glen oyster bar to his family of eateries

You have to admire the man’s gumption. To be a serial restaurateur in the current less-than- favorable business climate is akin to selling umbrellas and rain slickers in the current drought. Yet Jim Stump—he of Los Gatos Brewing Company, Forthright Oyster Bar and The Vesper in Campbell, and The Table in Willow Glen—is an opportunist and an optimist.

Stump, who opened the long-awaited Shepherd & Sims in the former Viva space on Los Gatos Boulevard in September, worked with daughter Janon, son Kyle and SDS NextGen Partners on Lamella Tavern, his new restaurant that’s up the street from The Table on Lincoln Avenue. Lamella features a carefully crafted line of house cocktails accompanied by raw bar for guests 21 and older.

“There’s really nothing else like this in Willow Glen,” says Stump. “It’s a place where people can before dinner to have a martini and some oysters, and then go have dinner at The Table or wherever.”

“Lamella” refers to the restaurant’s vaulted, crosshatched roof.

“There’s no structure, just a wide-open space,” Stump says.

Inside, there are seats for 40, with another 10 outside on the patio. He describes the looks as clean and fresh, with beautiful glassware and plates.

Lamella Tavern takes over the 2,000-square-foot spot that was formerly a vegan restaurant called The Source, which closed in June 2020. Stump says it has a full kitchen and a massive walk-in, along with an existing bar, but is has no hood.

It will probably be at least another year before Stump’s oyster bars feel the impact of the heatwave that hit oyster farms in British Columbia and Puget Sound in July, since oysters typically take 12 to 18 months to mature.

“In November, oysters start coming in from New Zealand and Rhode Island, and the Kumiai, from the Pacific side of Mexico, (Baja) from pristine waters,” Stump says. “They develop a deep cup and are super salty, as there’s no fresh water influence.”

The artisan cocktail list at Lamella features $13 beauties with names like Uptown Girl (vodka-based), Driving Miss Daisy (reposado and Cointreau), Old Navy (gin-based), Mama’s Medicine (reposado and mescal) and a Lamella old-fashioned made with 10-year Eagle Rare.

Stump’s son Kyle created Lamella’s cocktail list. “He also created the cocktails for Shepherd & Sims,” Stump says. “At the Tavern, they are white liquor-based vs. brown.”

Lamella Tavern is open Wednesday-Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at noon at 1109 Lincoln Ave. #10A.