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  • Kelly O

When Linda Derschang opened Linda's Tavern, people were skeptical that Capitol Hill needed another bar—after all, there was the Comet, and a handful of gay bars, so...

Linda's just celebrated its 20th birthday. Its faux-western decor now looks almost old-school, especially in the context of all the new food-and-drink "concepts" up and down Pike and Pine Streets. Linda's still serves decent burgers (now "drug free, so you don't have to be") and still goes by its original motto: "A nice place for nice people." Those of us who've misspent lots of time at Linda's Tavern (and possibly paid for one of Derschang's cars along the way) regard the place as a reliable old friend.

And, of course, Derschang went on to open King's Hardware, Oddfellows, Smith, and Bait Shop. (Also, along the way, there was the Capitol Club, the Baltic Room, Chop Suey, and the Viceroy, all of which she moved on from. As Terry Radjaw wrote in an interview with Derschang on The Stranger's blog Line Out, "I'm also pretty sure she owns the Shell gas station, Cal Anderson park, and Bruce Lee's soul.")...

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