Q Restaurant Confirms Iconic Veritable Quandary Dishes

When Q Restaurant announced it would open Downtown at SW 2nd and Taylor, it was quickly dubbed the reincarnation of Veritable Quandary, the iconic, 45-year-old restaurant soon to shutter to make way for a new Multnomah County courthouse. VQ's executive chef Annie Cuggino and general manager Erin Hokland will helm Q Restaurant. The owners of Q Restaurant, Mazen and Katherine Hariri, had their first date at VQ and say they began plotting to open a new restaurant the second they heard it was closing.

So will VQ's beloved dishes live on? Yes, Q Restaurant tells Eater. Fan favorites reappearing at Q include chef Cuggino's osso bucco, bacon-wrapped dates, rabbit pate, duck confit spring rolls, seafood stew, and chocolate Nocello souffle. Also, returning are seasonal dishes, including Oregon albacore Nicoise; wild salmon with peaches and ricotta; hanger steak with chile d'arbol, sweet corn, and Walla Walla onion; fresh melons with Zoe's prosciutto and flowers; and duck breast with berries, honey, and balsamic.

Construction at Q Restaurant starts today, and here's the latest: Q will seat around 100 and unlike VQ, will have a chef's counter for watching chef Cuggino in action. Andee Hess of Osmose Design oversees the design, and the firm wants to retain some of the VQ feel; the bar will be dark and moody, with custom stained glass, and the dining room will in part replicate VQ's solarium.

Q Restaurant is still aiming to open this fall at Southwest Second Avenue and Taylor Street. Here's the never-before-seen logo: