Owner of new Queen Anne establishment hopes to give neighborhood residents the ‘bar they deserve’

Brian Claudio Smith is the force behind Queen Anne’s newest restaurant Bar Miriam.

He is the owner/operator of Baker’s in Sunset Hill and is branching out to Queen Anne with the goal of “bringing the neighborhood the bar they deserve.”

Bar Miriam opened Feb. 2 with a local crowd, and Smith is looking forward to welcoming more people from the neighborhood and beyond.

Queen Anne was one of the first places Smith lived in Seattle, and he said he has been eyeing the perfect corner at Third and McGraw for as long as he can remember. Smith said he loves that the people and traffic all pass through the intersection and that it has a “unique” energy that is separate from Queen Anne Avenue. Bar Miriam is a 21+ bar and restaurant that features cocktails and natural wines. Smith said he hopes it will become the local haunt that all the neighbors will want to frequent.

Once upon a time, audiences could have seen Smith at Seattle Shakespeare Company. He followed a girl who would later become his wife to Denver and New York City but he said he knew that he always wanted to come back and settle in Seattle.

“I love this city, this climate,” Smith said. “I love it even when it’s cloudy.”

Smith’s acting days are over, but he has now moved his storytelling into hospitality.

“You can tell fun stories through food and dining,” he said.

In the effort to create a setting that would inspire community building, Smith hired former Queen Anne resident Peter Dylan O’Connor, whose skills have been on display at Seattle Public Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Tooth and Nail Construction and many other spaces.

O’Connor describes the new interior as “a great place to sit and hang out.”

“It’s good for conversation and a sense of warmth,” he said.

Bar Miriam features a 27-foot marble bar, a green velvet banquette and stained cherrywood butcher blocks for tables.

On a more personal note, there’s a small piano in the corner with a photograph from 1941 of Smith’s grandmother Miriam. She had been a strong presence in his life until her death last year at the age of 99, he said.

During his many years in the restaurant industry, Smith has created over 500 cocktails. For this latest endeavor, he is highlighting the concoctions of bar director Stef Rider. Her cocktails, Cloud City Reception Committee and Auntie Whispers — a caraway spirit drink with bubbly grapefruit and an agave-based liqueur with pineapple and absinthe, he hopes will become classics.

“If we are elevating the cocktails, the food must match,” Smith said.

Bar Miriam’s inaugural menu included small plates like Kentucky fried softshell crab and seared scallops with huckleberry borscht.

For this locally sourced and rapidly evolving menu, Smith said he is proud to partner with chef Cody Westerfield. The pair previously worked together at Lecosho, the waterfront favorite that came to a close in 2020.

Smith said he was able to assemble a top-notch staff during this challenging time because of his commitment to fair wages and creating a space for talented people to shine. Bar Miriam has a semi-open kitchen and a knowledgeable staff, he said.

There is no automatic gratuity or added service charge, but Smith said that guests tend to tip well for good food and great service. These tips are split fairly between the front- and back-of-house staff, and the house never takes a cut.

In addition, full-time staff have 100 percent employer paid healthcare at Bar Miriam and Baker’s. Smith proudly reports that Baker’s continued to pay for health insurance during the restaurant shutdown in 2020.

Bar Miriam is a place for “great food and great cocktails with the over-arching goal of making you happy,” Smith said.

At least one resident said the restaurant is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

“You may feel like you’re in a dream sequence or COVID-induced fever spell,” Queen Anne resident Barbara Platzer said. “A sliver of a vision for post pandemic joy may have just arrived- where the intimacy of catching up with neighbors, beloved Seattle icons and close friends feels heaven sent. Brian and his team treat you to well-poured drinks and easy conversation.”