#23: [REVIEW] Counter-

13 courses for $225, chicken sandwich sadness, a truly great breakfast burrito

The next installment in my new series, “How many expensive restaurants can I eat at before filing for bankruptcy?” is Counter- in Wesley Heights.

Owned by James Beard Finalist Chef Sam Hart, Counter- has become known for their themed tasting menus and full sensory dining experience. I’m a basic bitch who loves a theme so you know I’m in.

Additionally, there’s been lots of recent chatter about potential Michelin stars and Counter- is often named as a top contender. I’m also a nosy bitch, so you know I had to see for myself.

This year, Chef Sam and his staff have been working their way through the regions of North Carolina. Just last week they debuted their new Summer menu, “Piedmont.” They did “Coastal” in the beginning of the year and they’ll move to “Mountains” after the current menu run. I’ll be honest, Piedmont didn’t feel like a super exciting theme to me (compared to the coast or the mountains?) but I tried to go in with an open mind.

First impressions

When we first arrived at Counter-, I was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t across from a Chipotle or in some kind of mixed-used luxury apartment building. Already a promising start. Then, to my horror, the host seated us at a four person table with another couple. Panic began to rise in my chest at the thought of making small talk with strangers all night, until eventually we realized this was just the pre-dinner portion of the night. Thank you god.

In “the holding area” we got to experience a few rounds of snacks along with a glass of wine. The decor and general vibe in this space wasn’t my favorite. We also did have to do more small talk than I prefer and discovered the couple at our table had been to Counter- 18 times (!!) and told us we should try Omakase Experience by Prime Fish. No one tell them about this Substack!

After roughly 40 minutes, we were finally whisked off to the main dining room so the real experience could begin. I breathed a sigh of relief entering this room. The decor and general vibe was a vast improvement to the previous space. There’s a U-shaped counter wrapped around an open kitchen, with room for about 16 diners side-by-side. I was also relieved to separate from the other couple because I could not handle another minute of saying things like, “wow I’ve never had ham like this before” and “that strawberry was really unexpected” to each other. It’s like when someone has seen a movie 18 times and you’ve never seen it. You feel like the other person is watching you the whole time to gauge your reaction. *Shudders*

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The experience

Price: $225/per person + gratuity and tax
What’s included: Roughly 13 courses
Optional add-ons: Wine pairing options (ranging from $105-$1,250/per person), caviar course ($75)

Opted to add the “global wine pairing” at $105/per person. Plus we tacked on a $20 welcome drink, which was a crisp glass of sparkling crémant. Always a good way to start a meal.

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Everything we ate

The snacks

• Tomato — Mayo, lardo, OBX salt

• Peach — Snapper, green peach, green almond

• Onion — Caviar, shallot, chive, crème fraîche

• Strawberry — Ham, rhubarb

The main tasting

• Garden — pea, garbanzo, foraged herbs

• Succotash — blue crab, squash, corn, tomato

• Carrot — nduja, ham hock, chawanmushi, pesto

• Corn — catfish, parsley, snap pea

• Squash — duck prosciutto, crooked neck, zucchini

• Beans — rabbit, comb tooth, truffle, caramelized onions

• Mushroom — infinite mushroom dashi

• Melon — water, honeydew, cantaloupe, canary

• Berry — blackberry, serviceberry, strawberry, meringue

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What I loved ❤️

The main dining room experience: I truly didn’t know what to expect from a Counter- dinner but it was really fucking fun. Once you’re in the main dining room, the entire energy changes. There’s a feeling of anticipation and excitement building. Then, the music cranks up, and like a perfectly choreographed dance, Chef Sam and his staff begin setting out the first course. It’s impressive to watch the coordination and timing of it all. It’s not really dinner and a show so much as dinner as the show.

The entire experience is infused with music and art along with Chef Sam’s thoughtful commentary about each plate. This was a little hard to hear at times based on where we were sitting, because he addressed the whole room. It was clear, though, that Piedmont is a very personal menu to him.

The music ranged widely, from Give Up the Funk by Parliament to Eartha Kitt’s rendition of C’est Si Bon. I could have done without Sail by AWOLNATION (why) but you can’t win ‘em all I guess.

It’s also worth noting, the service at Counter- is impeccable. The entire staff is paying close attention to details but in a way that makes you feel cared for and not smothered.

The snacks: These first small bites packed a lot of punch and showcased some of the most interesting flavors I tried that evening. The strawberry course was especially memorable. Each bite played on the concept of time and methods of preservation, ending on a strawberry that was pickled three years ago. Visually the most simple dish, but it really took your palate on a journey as you moved from left to right.

There was also a snack course that wasn’t listed on the final menu that featured ice cream made with Carolina Gold Rice (rice cream!) and different elements of watermelon, liked pickled rind and a syrup made by condensing the inside (meat?) of the melon. It was a perfect balance of brightness, tartness and sweetness. I wish I could eat that all summer.

The succotash: One of the standouts of the entire meal was the succotash course, made with blue crab, corn, tomato and squash. This dish was the embodiment of North Carolina to me. I feel like so often people always look to pimento cheese or biscuits or barbecue (insert any Southern food here) as the representative food of our state. But I’d like to petition for this dish to be the official mascot.

Every region came together in one bowl. It was warm and comforting with hits of savory, sweet, salty and tart. There were also some little crunchies on top that added some texture. It somehow instantly tasted like something you grew up eating, even if you didn’t. I could have eaten a whole big bowl of this.

The risotto: I stand before you truly humbled because, before this night, my views on risotto weren’t too complimentary. I always thought, “Ok, this is just soggy pasta rice… and why would I want that if I can just order actual pasta?” I have never met a risotto that’s impressed me or made me “get it,” until this glorious plate arrived in front of me.

Chef Sam explained that it was made the Italian way, using the rice’s own starch to get the creamy texture vs. using butter or cream. That blew my mind because it was somehow perfectly buttery and creamy?? The catfish was battered and cooked to perfection. You could have told me it was another more expensive type of white fish and I wouldn’t have batted an eye. The true star, though, was the corn. It infused the risotto with a subtle sweetness that balanced out the saltiness. Maybe my favorite dish of the meal.

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What I didn’t love 💔

The small dining room atmosphere: This part of the evening, with the exception of the food itself, felt completely disjointed from the experience. It wasn’t just the small talk with strangers, it was also the whole vibe of the room. There are an unsettling amount of velvet curtains, which made me feel like we were waiting to see a magician. The rest of the decor felt dark and outdated, very different from the main dining room.

I also didn’t understand, conceptually, why there was a holding area or a separate part of the experience? Maybe there’s a logistical reason for it or maybe it’s just to add some drama or build-up for the main event, but it felt like we could have done without it.

to reiterate, the first room snacks were fire though

The wine pairing: There are a few reasons the wine pairing didn’t do it for me. One was that I didn’t feel like the pairings (at least for the $105 global tasting) elevated the dishes. The selections were ok but there were none really that stood out as wines I’d want to go out of my way to buy and drink. They were just fine.

The biggest reason, though, had to do more with the pacing of the dinner. There were wine selections for each dish and, because each course is served all at once to everyone in the room, you don’t get to go at your own speed. I’m more of a leisurely wine sipper. I like to savor it and enjoy it. There was no room for that here. I felt like I was Lucille Ball trying to keep up with the conveyor belt of chocolate. At one point I had three glasses in front of me at varying levels of completion and told my husband, “I feel like I’m fighting for my life out here.” I did manage to make it through, but not without him finishing some of the glasses for me.

The main entrees: There were two dishes that Chef Sam referred to as the main entrees of the evening: the squash course and the bean course. Both of these missed the mark for me and didn’t seem to match the level of execution of the rest of the menu.

The squash course was drowning in a thick cream sauce and then topped with prosciutto. The zucchini felt like more of an afterthought that the feature ingredient of the dish. Maybe it could have been saved with a lighter hand on the sauce but the whole combination was honestly puzzling.

The bean course is really where I started unraveling. I was getting full and my wine glasses were piling up and then laid before me was a plate with a sausage, sous vide rabbit, beans and gravy. It was so overly salty, it was the only dish I didn’t completely finish. I also want to know who out here is asking for sous vide meat. It’s french, sure, but you’re putting meat in a bag and cooking it in water? And telling me that’s better than like….roasting it?

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Final take: Hag recommended 🔥

The few gripes aside, this was an absolutely incredible dinner. I was blown away by the execution, attention to detail, and thought put into each dish. With this menu specifically, it felt like Chef Sam struck a perfect balance of new and familiar. It made me feel at home while also taking me somewhere I’d never been.

I thought the whole production of it would bum me out and make me feel like I was on a cruise ship, but it was genuinely cool and highly impressive. The interplay between the food, the music and the art makes perfect sense. These are all things that make us feel. I applaud Chef Sam and his staff for bringing them together in such a fun way.

All in all, this was a meal I’ll think about for a long time and I’m definitely planning on heading back once they roll out the “Mountains” menu later this year.

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5 things I consumed this week in Charlotte

1. The Beaut Combo ($14.98) at Bossy Beulah’s. With the loss of Boxcar Betty’s, I’m now on the hunt for a new chicken sandwich and sadly this one is not it. The chicken was way too thick and generally flavorless. The fries were overcooked and under salted. I’m sorry but a Chick-fil-a combo is better than this.

2. Sakkura Sandwich ($17) and Crispy Yuca ($3.55) at La Lima Sangucheria. First time trying this spot. This was basically a tuna tartare sandwich, which was a little strange but also good? Loved all the sauces and the crispy yuca slapped.

3. Little Gem Salad ($12), Korean Beef ($19) & Tagliolini at Good Food on Montford. Will never not order the korean beef and tagliolini here. Also really enjoyed the little gem. In upsetting news, a man at the table next to us kept taking his bare feet out of his loafers to stretch his toes. Quick question: should I have called the police?

4. Breakfast burrito ($10.99) at The People’s Market. Checked out their new Myers Park location on Sunday morning before heading to Asheville. The magic in this burrito are the tortilla strips for added crunch. It’s the best. Obsessed with their grits, too.

5. The Capo Italian ($12.99) at The Culture Shop. Not the first time this has been in a QCH newsletter and probably won’t be the last. One of my all-time favorites. IYKYK. Yay for more outdoor tables also!

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Bought a 10-foot inflatable pool from Target over the weekend in a moment of desperation from the heat. It’s not the classiest move but I have no regrets.

c u next tuesday,

the hag herself

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All of the food and drinks reviewed in QCH are paid for by the author. This newsletter does not feature any ads or sponsored content.