Although I was a reporter for 18 years at the San Jose Mercury News, I, like so many of my colleagues, regretted never having had the chance to work in its original downtown location instead of in the larger plant it eventually built on the outskirts of Ridder Park Drive.

However, I did have the chance recently to enjoy the newest incarnation of that historic 1884 building on W. Santa Clara Street, now aptly named The Pressroom, which opened in March.

Created by Nuvo Hospitality, the group behind San Jose’s Dr. Funk and Five Points cocktail bars, The Press Room not surprisingly also boasts the attached and equally on-point Bar Mercury.

I have to say I love the way they have paid homage to the building’s past. The 160-seat dining room has soaring ceilings with exposed ductwork, giving it the industrial feel like that of a printing press.

That vibe continues with the decor, marble tabletops, and plateware, with much of it in tones of black, white and gray — just like a newspaper.

A large wall art installation has a lenticular flip effect, showing an antique printing press from one angle, and a pop-art woman’s face from another angle.

Deadlines are arguably the bane of every reporter’s existence. But then again, we probably would never get anything done without them and would watch our byline just fizzle away. Good thing The Pressroom’s Byline Fizz ($19) doesn’t conjure up nightmares like that, just breezy thoughts with its refreshing fizzy, tart blend of strawberry-infused tequila reposado, lemon, honey, and a float of sparkling wine.

Jalapeno cornbread ($22) is sweet, spicy, and slightly crumbly, as well as enriched with bone marrow. It comes with a very artsy spiral of Calabrian-chili lime butter dotted with smoked sea salt and fried capers. It’s quite a lot of butter, perhaps more than one would ever need for three slices of cornbread.

The ahi tuna poke nachos ($24) are fashioned from crispy won ton wrapper triangles that get crowned with cubes of ahi dressed with a spicy soy sauce marinade. There is diced avocado, tomato, and onions, plus strips of nori, along with squiggles of spicy sriracha aioli and wasabi cream. It makes for messy but satisfying eating.

From the mains, you can’t go wrong with the pan-seared Ora King salmon ($48) that arrives perfectly medium-rare in the center and with crisp skin on top. It’s drizzled with a little lemon-beurre blanc, with more in a cup on the side should you wish for more buttery goodness to go with the buttery mash on the bottom. Green beans and carrots, cooked nicely al dente, round out the plate.

The prime cut ribeye is a splurge at $85. But it’s a sizeable steak, cooked medium as requested and arriving at the table already sliced. It, too, arrives with buttery mashed potatoes, along with thick spears of asparagus.

When it comes to dessert, the beignets ($14) are a true standout. A trio of them arrive hot and as big as baseballs that have been dusted in powdered sugar. Don’t let their size intimidate, though. These beignets are a lot like popovers — burnished and crisp on the outside, and so airy inside that they collapse into themselves after the first bite.

Dunk them in the accompanying chocolate, dulce de leche, and raspberry sauces one at a time or all at once, and you’ll not leave happier.

If you have leftovers to take home, they will be carefully packaged in a whimsical newsprint-like bag from — what else — the “New Fork Times.”