"Prolific restaurateur Linda Derschang (Linda’s Tavern, Oddfellows) has put her sophisticated spin on Belltown’s longstanding Queen City Grill, beautifully redesigning the space, the menus, and even the name, slightly — Queen City — for its reopening today. Derschang says she’s been wishing for a nearby neighborhood hangout for a burger and a cocktail since she moved downtown a few years ago, and Queen City is her solution — she’s even brought along the burger from Smith, another of her restaurants. It’s all served in a nostalgic but polished 95-seat space with an extra 12 seats on the little outdoor patio. The dozen wooden booths and the bar are originals, while the fixtures are a mix of newly uncovered and freshly added, like lighting from France. Found paintings and local photos, from the likes of Lance Mercer and Ashley Armitage, decorate the walls alongside old mirrors and taxidermy, a signature Derschang touch. Queen City Grill opened in 1987 but the venue dates back to at least 1910, when Queen City Saloon opened at the corner of First and Blanchard, and possibly earlier." - Adam H. Callaghan
