This puts that traveling gnome to shame: the custom-engraved bottle of Herradura reposado tequila that was awarded to Nojo, one of 7x7's Best New Restaurants of 2011, at our awards party last Monday—and which was "somehow taken" off the premises without the recipient's knowledge—has mysteriously turned up at the restaurant today!

On the Thursday following the mishap, 7x7 marketing manager Riley Manlapaz (me!) happily offered a bottle of Herradura silver to Chef Greg to make up for the loss. However, Chef Greg emailed 7x7 to let us know what arrived at the restaurant today: "can you believe that!?  there was number on the box, which I called, but it was false number...so weird!"

Today's semi-closure still involves some intriguing questions: how much of the apparently opened reposado was enjoyed, and by whom? Will this mark the start of a new "Edgar Allan Poe stalker" tradtion that finds Nojo receiving a special bottle on a regular basis? And are we sure that bottle hasn't been roofied in order to get to  Chef Greg's cherished recipes?

What do you think? Will we ever find out who is drinking from the great chefs of San Francisco?

Photos: courtesy of Nojo and 7x7