On any given day, Brett and I can be found volleying emails back and forth regarding the age old question of what to have for dinner, but yesterday did not follow that typical path. Brett’s friend Andrew had just shared his knowledge of a new restaurant in the Ballard neighborhood: a California-based chain entitled “The Counter.” Founded in 2003, the “custom built burger joint” has grown to a whopping 12 locations in California, nine others smattered randomly around the country, and two international stops (Ireland and Australia.) Their concept is simple: They offer an extensive list of fresh and unique ingredients allowing the customer to design their own unique gourmet burger.
After logging on the trusty interwebs to further review this establishment and their offerings, the decision was clear: Brett and I would be venturing forth to this establishment, located in the new Ballard Blocks building, that evening.
With our plans in place, the entire day took on a brilliant new hue—previously bathed in a dismal grey, it now seemed a bit sunnier and it was almost as though my perspective had been dipped in a candy glaze. When the work whistle finally blew seven hours later, I scooted home and prepared for my Bikram yoga practice armed with the knowledge that if I was going to indulge in the splendor that is “The Counter,” I should certainly earn it. My 90 minute practice came and went. Forsaking my post-practice savasana, I hopped off my mat and dodged toward the shower (such was my excitement to partake of deep-fried dill pickles!!!)
I picked Brett up and we made our way to dinner at 8pm. As to be expected, I stopped outside the venue for a couple of external photos as we made our way toward the building. My outdoor distraction was brief due to the fact that (if there had previously been any point of contention regarding the subject, let it now be known) it is officially fall. The evening was crisp, clear and as dark as what two weeks ago would have been 10pm.
Upon entering, I felt as though I was in a 26th century diner. The front two facings are entirely windows, and one side even features a windowed roll-up garage door. Adorned with minimal artwork, the focus of aesthetic appreciation is directed toward the bar. First of all, let me broach the subject of a gourmet burger facility that features a bar. This is absolutely brilliant! Aside from the tidy appearance of the built-in shelves (and the fair sized flat screens that flank them), there are five large black and white photographs hanging from the back walls.
the "garage door."Seating is ample. There is a divider between the bar and restaurant area: the bar offers a handful of bar height tables and stools along with the actual bar seating and the restaurant features 15 or so tables and booth seating along the divider with tables and chairs across from that. The space is vast and was perhaps one third occupied…a fact that I did not find concerning considering it was 40 minutes before they closed on a Monday night.
Our server was friendly and allowed me to select where I’d like for us to sit. After letting us know that he would be helping the four of us that night (I know I have a larger than average ego, but really?!) he confided that it had been a long day and hunkered down at our table with us. He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu, a fact that I found excited me even more about the prospect of things to come. All of their ingredients are fresh, and the meat is the healthiest you can hope to come by. I’m not sure who exactly does the tracking, but apparently at any given moment someone at The Counter knows where their cows are be it at the farm, on a truck, or maybe even in your mouth.
We knew straight away that we would be starting with the deep fried dill pickles as well as the “50/50” (your choice of half regular fries and half sweet potato fries, half regular fries and half onion strings, and so on and so forth.) No sooner had we placed this order than a gentleman came out of the kitchen carrying our appetizers. Instead of the “50/50” he had brought us a six inch mound of onion strings. Upon pointing this out he asked that we please consider keeping the onion strings and he would rush an order of fries as well. Though we certainly didn’t require this abundance of fried food, who are we to deny such generosity?
Upon receipt of the greasy goodies I found myself distracted from the task at hand: creating my own tasty burger! The Counter does feature a potpourri of tried and true burger options on the menu for anyone who is not inclined to be creative, but Brett and I were both excited by the prospect of invention. So enthused was I that I had actually been preparing for this endeavor earlier in the day. I ticked the boxes without hesitation: 1/3 lb turkey burger on a toasted honey whole wheat bun with horseradish cheddar, tomato, dill pickle chips (not fried), spicy pepperoncinis, Bermuda red onion, and red relish.
Brett’s choice included a 1/3 lb hamburger on a regular bun with horseradish cheddar, dill pickle chips, grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes and was finished with a roasted garlic aioli sauce. Brett theorized that before he made any edgier combinations he needed a “control” by which to compare everything he selects henceforth. With that, this burger was declared “The Gold Standard.”
I felt a tinge of guilt as I tucked into our fried delights—this was the first sustenance to hit my system since I had spent a good 90 minutes detoxifying my body. Regardless, I pressed on and took my first panko encrusted dill pickle chip. We were cautioned by the chap who delivered them to our table that they were extremely hot, so I carefully dipped it into the accompanying sweet and sour sauce, gave it a good cooling, and popped the whole thing into my mouth. Never before had I even considered the idea of a fried pickle remotely interesting, but this experience proved my consideration incorrect. The panko breading glistened delicately and encased a warm yet crisp quarter inch dill pickle round. In summation, it was delicious.
The onion strings were amazing as well. Brett inquired as to the nature of their breading (I was too sheepish to ask since I had already aroused curiosity with my copious photo taking) and we were told that the onions are soaked in buttermilk overnight, then breaded and fried. The result was phenomenal. These strings tasted completely home made and melted in my mouth. I am always disheartened to bite into an onion ring, only to have the onion slither out of its shell and slap my chin with disdain, so I was overwhelmed with joy that the onion and batter shared an inseparable union.
We had barely even put a dent in our starters when our burgers arrived. The presentation was minimalist chic: the bun top was slightly askew to display the treasures lying within. A stainless sauce cup lounged on the side of the rectangular white plate so we could sauce at our own discretion. Other than that, a knife and a fork rested on either side of the plate.
I daintily spread my red relish on the top portion of my bun. The red relish, as it turns out, is a combination of ketchup and relish (my instinct proved correct in this instance)—but it was certainly not any ordinary relish! Nay, it was a delicious and subtle bread and butter pickle-style relish. My honey whole wheat bun was solid and nutritious and acted as a perfect vessel for the goodies within. The turkey burger was subtly juicy and obviously hand-formed. While the pickles were great, I was disappointed with the Bermuda red onions and spicy pepperoncinis. I was expecting a fancy pants marinated red onion, but instead found the garden variety. I picked off the offending veggie and proceeded to devour the rest (dipping every last crumb in my red relish.) All in all, I was very pleased and decided the appellation for my burger would be “The Erudite Gobbler”. Brett was also satisfied and found his burger to be very simple and wholesome. I seem to remember him saying it was like something his dad would grill at home.
Our pace slowed as our plaque thickened and we sipped our libations to decompress. I failed to mention that The Counter’s wine and beer list is decent and a full bar is offered as well. Brett was thrilled that his Tanqueray and tonic cost a mere five dollars. My Snoqualmie Naked Cabernet Sauvignon was liberally poured and perfectly tannic. Since there were still copious amounts of our starters left, we asked for a few containers so as not to let this deliciousness go to waste.
With our bellies full and our hearts content, we made our way home—the neon oasis glowing behind us in the sleepy Ballard night.
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