There is a restaurant in the East Village that I’ve posted about a couple times: its name is Counter.
I’m kind of obsessed with it.
I love variety, and I like to try new cuisines and new dining destinations. But somehow, I can never get enough of this place. I went there for my 24th birthday. I went there for New Year’s. I went there to celebrate getting my job. I’ve been there for no reason at all inbetween.
While making Sunday brunch plans last week, a friend and I made the promise to try somewhere new. We wracked our brains for a good spot in Tribeca, but after sadly coming up short, I thought, “You know, Counter has a brunch.” I’ve never tried their brunch, so it’s sort of new…right?
Why is it that Counter is so spectacular? Well, for starters, the food and wine are nearly 100% organic, local, and sustainable. Most restaurants of this mantra also come with the tags of whitewashing their walls, not serving liquor, and generally being a little bit hippie-ish. But not Counter.
I support organic, local, sustainable food with my heart and soul, but I am also a twentysomething Manhattan gal who used to work in fashion and occasionally watches The Millionaire Matchmaker. While I’ll visit the hippie-cafés if the food is good, when it comes to the atmosphere for me, Counter has it down. Sleek, chic, sophisticated. The lights are dim, the walls are dark, the food is presented with a bit of art. A much better fit.
$3.50 brunch mimosa – a must, clearly.
Then, there’s the wine. Counter is half “vegetable bistro” [we'll get to the wonderfulness of that in a minute], half “wine bar.” Their wine list is extensive and includes many organic bottles. Flights include generous pours of local, New York wines, which are always fun to taste. And though I’m usually distracted by vino, the cocktail menu is also creative and delicious.
And of course, there is the food. Counter doesn’t bill itself as a vegetarian restaurant; instead, it is a “vegetable bar” with a menu that, quite simply, celebrates an unabashed love of vegetables. It is rare to see tofu, for instance, on offer, as the dishes are all about the plants. Preparations are sometimes intricate, sometimes not – but they are always creative. And while the menu leans towards veganism, it never commits 100%. Kind of like me.
vegan roasted pepper and leek “frittata,” mesclun greens, hash browns, toast, chocolate-walnut spread.
Perhaps I’ve never gotten bored because the menu is always changing. A list of twenty or so small plates to share is constantly updated with the freshest produce of the season [even in this bleak dead of winter]. The brunch menu is separate yet just as exciting, with more individual complete entrees than tapas-like plates.
My friend [also a vegetable aficionado] and I left, after two hours of dining yesterday, on a wave of brunch heaven. The only way I can phrase it is that this restaurant simply gets me. It celebrates produce of all kinds at their peak periods of flavor, along with just the right amount of surrounding style. The menu doesn’t tout its health benefits; they are a natural perk of the most basic concept: eating from the ground.
And, perhaps most importantly, dinner is always accompanied by wine.
Do you have a favorite restaurant that you’re always happy to return to?
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I’m so glad that you posted about this restaurant! I have never been to Counter but am always looking for new restaurants to try out and this was has now been added to the list! I recently went to Gobo which was sooooo delicious and I wanted so many things on the menu that I am already planning my next trip back. Also, Angelica’s Kitchen on the lower east is super good and has a no corkage fee BYOB policy which is great for a friday night :)
Counter sounds like Leslie in restaurant form! I love that New York has something for everyone. Unfortunately, the variety around here in suburban Maryland is not quite the same, and I don’t have an array of vegetarian eateries to choose from. The closest one to my house is delicious, and I do try and go there when I can.
Looks great! Going on my list of places to try in NYC. Candle Cafe is somewhere I will go back to, time and time again. As is “my diner” for sentimental reasons…
One of my favorite restaurants closed down about a year ago, Old Devil Moon. It was where my best friend and I would always meet when we needed to seriously vent and seriously eat.
My other absolute favorite is Red Bamboo. There’s one in the West Village as well as Fort Greene. I prefer the Fort Greene location because the ambiance is spectacular and spacious.
I must try this Counter! Perhaps we could meet up for a meal there sometime soon?
PS:I know exactly what you mean by the hippie-ish atmospheres. Haha.
OH yumm the frittata looks delicious! I’ll have to make a stop at Counter next time I’m in the city
Hope you are able to have a mindful Monday! (Yes, I’m loving alliterations)
bec xo
i have never been to a place like that! im jealous but i do not think they exist in the south! looks quite tasty and classy!
My favorite place to eat is a Tibetan restaurant in Northampton, called Lhasa Cafe. I love it – my favorite thing to order is a plate full of momos, which are homemade vegetable dumplings served with a spicy dipping sauce. They also have steamed bread buns, rice dishes, and butter tea. All of their food tastes like it’s made in someone’s home, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy. Though we only go a few times a year, it’s pretty much my go-to restaurant when we’re out that way.
If you find a place that you love, I say why not go back time and again? Frequent patronage is also something that restaurant staff love, so if you go to a place often enough to be known as a “regular,” even better. There was a place that my friends and I used to go in high school all the time; a hawker food stall (this is in Singapore) and the Tiger beer lady knew all of our names and would give us a discount. See, going to the same place all the time absolutely pays off :)
I’ve recently picked up a new favorite restaurant near my internship. It’s a Korean-influenced diner that has a TON of vegan options. It’s small and cozy and I’ve never had a bad meal there! I think I’ve been there at least twice a week for the last couple weeks. I’m beginning to come a regular.
that restaurant sounds amazing- i have several places i love to return to in my home town..they are alwyas so comforting <3
I’ve heard about this place! Not to be confused with “THE Counter,” right? Wow, it looks delicious…very fresh and healthy!
Thanks, Thanks, and more Thanks for your very kind words about my restaurant & bar Counter! We are seven years old this month and we’re coming into our own and finally making sense to people. Please let me know when you next dine at Counter. I would like to say hello and give you a big hug for making my day and putting a smile on my face.
Cheers, Deborah