Counter: Your Reputation Exceeds You

I hadn't expected to return to Counter, but I found myself there again recently at the behest of two fellow vegan foodies.  It was nearing the end of brunchtime when we arrived and the waitress didn't hesitate to tell us to hurry up making our decisions.  She could have been considerably more friendly and/or diplomatic with her choice of words and attitude (if only to have started us off on the right foot), but I was still hoping for a good experience.

To share, we were going to order the crowd pleasing vegan nutella pastry basket (breads and muffins) that comes with vegan nutella, but with a visit to Champs in our future we decided to instead go with the potato latkes.  Served with a tiny portion of "housemade applesauce" (that tasted like the pear apple compote it used to be served with), it was just all right.  There was nothing specifically wrong with the dish, but it was nothing to write home about either; at almost four bucks a latke I expected more.

They used to be small, compact discs; these were haphazard in comparison.

I was going to order the most recent incarnation of the frittatta, but after having been grossly disappointed by every variation that has followed the incomparable frittatta florentine I didn't want to bother.  I couldn't really get excited about anything on the brunch menu so I chose simplicity: French toast.  ArielaIsAwesome warned me that it was just basic French toast, but VM ordered it once and it was just the way I like it: with crispy edges and mushy middles.  I should have listened this time around, though; as with most good things at Counter, the good version bit the dust.  So, there it was; a yawn on a plate.

I admit that I don't like thick cut French toast to begin with, but if you choose to serve it that way, please do so in a manner whereby the entire slice of bread is cooked through.  As if the boredom of the dish wasn't enough, to add insult to injury, the center was simply uncooked bread.  Luckily, when slathered with the delicious cinnamon butter and drowned in extra maple syrup, it was okay.  It was supposed to be served with walnuts, but I didn't see any: in the toast, in the butter, in the syrup; I checked everywhere...no walnuts.  Sigh.

I know it's blurry, but you can see my point: raw bread inners!

My vegan dining companions both went with the biscuits and gravy.  I've never been able to wrap my head around this dish, but I tasted it and as a non-fan thought it was okay.  Just David gave it a 3.5 out of 5, and ArielaIsAwesome a solid 4, so I'd say it must have been pretty good.  The real issue, though, was that one of the two identical orders was served sans hash browns and, by the time they finally came out of the kitchen, the rest of the food had gotten cold.  This left me wondering how hard it could be to bring three complete dishes to a table at once when only two of your restaurant's tables are occupied?  Or, more to the point, why the waitress was so obviously apathetic about this and everything else relating to us- and then closed on a tacky note when she hovered over us immediately and constantly after placing the check on the table. 

Over the course of the past year or so Counter has changed their menu numerous times (for the worse), adding uninspired dishes and removing favorites.  They've raised their prices considerably and have drastically decreased their portions.  As Counter is a somewhat upscale establishment, in a tough economy I can almost forgive this-- but not when the service and/or atmosphere is not up to snuff in proportionate merit.  There was no music playing, our waitress was obviously bored by us, the food was mediocre, and, most egregiously, the chair I sat in was almost entirely reupholstered with duct tape.  Not cool, Counter.  I wish you the best, but it's going to take a while to get me back.

Veggie Conquest II - Squashing the Non-Vegan Competition

A belated posting for my attendance at the incredible Veggie Conquest II. This event could not be improved upon unless the secret ingredient was a chocolate/peanut butter combo.

But seriously, I thought it was just going to be a nice evening with some yummy tastes. Instead, it was an event- literally and gastronomically.

The location in Chelsea was convenient and the space was decorated elegantly and appropriately for the seasonal secret ingredient (fall/squash). The hostess at the door was welcoming and friendly-- even when I almost stole two pins (they should put a sign there for those of us used to the adorable freebies at Vegan Treats)! There were plenty of friendly peeps to mingle with, including representatives from nearby NY state animal havens: Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen and the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties.

When things got underway, the inimitable Joshua Katcher (aka The Discerning Brute) took control of the evening: effortlessly entertaining and simultaneously moving the event along seamlessly. Three judges: the well-spoken and equally kind and candid Michael Parrish DuDell from Ecorazzi, creator of Indiana's The Bake Easy: Amy Lynn Herman, and an extremely quiet Deborah Gavito, owner of Counter. I had wanted to take my frittata florentine issue up with her, but she didn't seem to be in the mood to mingle with the crowd, let alone hear me lament the removal of the incredibly praiseworthy dish from her brunch menu. So, unfortunately, it is not looking good for my frittata.

In any event, everyone was presented with tastes of the entries and then had the opportunity to vote. There were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chef prizes presented (one donated by the wonderful Lula's), and even door prizes were bestowed upon a couple of lucky tasters who got to choose between vegan mac & cheese or white chocolate chips from Cosmo's.

NEXT, the tasters were treated to a ginormous smorgasbord prepared and presented by the very talented volunteers of the evening. And, as if those delicious and varied creations weren't enough to satiate, the generous Sara- of the infamous Sweet & Sara marshmallow line- donated platters upon platters of all of her scrumptious creations (toasted coconut marshmallow and rocky road bark are still my household's favorites!). Apparently the modest Sara was even in attendance, but since she didn't introduce herself she wasn't able to receive the praise she so rightly deserves to have bestowed upon her. I'll take the opportunity here to give her a resounding handclap; if the vegan corn dog deserves one (and it does), so too does the vegan marshmallow.

Eventually, the evening wound down with most everyone chatting happily about just about everything vegan. A hardy thank you to everyone responsible for the terrific evening: from founder Jessica Mahady to all of the selfless volunteers. Not a single detail was overlooked; the care is obvious and appreciated. From the ambiance (lighting, music, room prep) to the entertainment, to the generosity of the goodies: this is an evening not to be missed.

Counter, Lula's, etc.

Since I can't effectively chronicle past NYC munching, I choose instead to do so going forward, with some nods to past experiences. Please indulge me as I share my indulgences!





It was a busy weekend for me in the LES. First off was a brunch favorite: Counter. The good: Per usual, we all enjoyed the baked to order Housemade Goodies (muffins and loaf slices served with berry butter and vegan nutella) and the fresh-squeezed orange juice (divine). Much is lamented about Counter's non-vegan offerings, but the carnie enjoyed his "real" eggs and "real" cheese, although at first he thought he was being duped and insisted upon confirming the authenticity of the ingredients with the waitress. The vegetarian enjoyed a delicious addition to the menu: vegan potato latkes. They were crispy and yummy, served with a pear/apple compote/sauce that reminds you why places like Counter exist: to spoil you with homemade extras (ketchup, etc.). But, they were served lacklusterly on a teeny plate that made them look like a side dish and made them difficult to maneuver. The bad: THEY TOOK AWAY MY FRITATTA FLORENTINE! On every previous visit I have enjoyed this scrumptious dish: two open-faced english muffin halves topped with a thick, veggie frittata and covered with a delectable mushroom sauce and creamy hollandaise, served with mesculin salad (homemade lemon vinaigrette) and a heap of potatoes. Worse still, the "replacement" is the Benedict Arnold: the same english muffin topped with a non-descript, generically meaty slab of seitan, onion, avocado, and a somehow watery hollandaise. Also, NO POTATOES. And, they raised the price. ?? So, all in all I was not amused. I finished the meal with the cookie tasting. The peanut butter was very good, the chocolate chip nothing special, and the shortbread had rye seeds in it: YUCK. Dear Counter, Please bring back my fritatta and all will be forgiven. Thank you, ASB.


Next up was a visit to Whole Foods Bowery. On a Twitter tip from the fine folks at Veggie Conquest, I was able to pick up a belated vegan challah made by Lilly's. Apparently this is available only at the holidays, so show some love and buy it up so that it will continue to be offered; I've never seen/heard of vegan challah anywhere else. FYI, they also had some vegan rugelah near the impressive vegan cookie display, although they still don't carry my favorite flavor of Liz Lovely cookies: Chocolate Moosedragons. Boo. They did, however, have some vegan chocolate chip scones that eased the disappointment. Note: still no Daiya pizzas in the right coast WFs.


Moving on to Economy Candy to replenish my vegan M&M supply. While you have to know your vegan stuff in order to find the veganity at EC, I've been buying these vegan M&Ms (sold in bulk) on a tip from the PPK blog. Always double check at the counter: they should be kosher & vegan. They are much better than Whizzers.

I applaud MooShoes, but they were tres expensive and nothing wowed me. While it was great to shop somewhere and not have to read the "ingredients" of every item, I wondered why the selection seemed from one extreme to another: either plain brown or black (most of the store) or kinda outlandish (OlsenHaus). I'll have to try again.

Pommes Frites was as delicious as ever AND they redid their seating area! I unfortunately tried the Mexican Ketchup without knowing it contained cilantro (yuck) and will be returning to my curry ketchup in the future. Also, heard someone order mango chutney on the way out even though it's not listed on the menu; sounds good and worth an investigation on a future visit. Meanwhile, I am anxious to see how Potato Champion in Portland is going to fair against NY's PF.


Stogo; why do I continue to bother? Oh, I know why: because VegNews lured me in with a video ad of some sort extolling the virtues of their oh-so-popular Salted Caramel Pecan. Guess what? it was a mouth full of salty ice cream. And the Bananas Foster was not even close to bananas foster, which I love. Instead, it just tasted like crappy banana ice cream. I'd hoped to try their peanut butter/chocolate concoction, but they didn't have it. The soft serve machine wasn't working either. I was going to get a couple of chocolate truffles until I was told they were $4 each. Stogo, I am done with you. I love Lula's anyway (concept, ethics, product, people), so I don't know why I even step foot in your too-trendy "establishment" where nary the word vegan is uttered.


Ah, Lula's Sweet Apothecary, my favorite new old time ice cream shoppe: the rest of the day is simply a pre-cursor to my sweet visit. Where to begin? For those of you who don't know, Lula's is a quaint little shop that looks like an old time candy store. They serve everything in appropriately sized/shaped glass dishes with real silverware (even the tasting spoons). The straws are metal too! Shakes come with a "bendy" straw, but my favorite, the ice cream float, comes with a straw with a spoon attached on the end. It's kind of like the old-fashioned, environmentally conscious version of a slurpee straw. They even use recycled paper products (napkins) and provide glasses of water to accompany your tasty concoctions. It's obvious they are not cashing in on the trends of environmentalism and veganism. It's legitimately vegan owned and operated; they know the deal and the regulars know they know it. Case in point: they make their own soy & nut milks and then make their own ice creams with it. A lot of the toppings are homemade too (omg, the dark chocolate peanut butter cups are ridiculously good), so you can go there every day and never have the same sundae!

Onto the food: they offer a list of rotating hard and soft ice cream flavors (nut and soy based) and delectable toppings, as well as assorted wrapped candies and baked goods. The owners and staff are impeccable in every detail, from their appearance to their behavior; to say it is clean doesn't do it justice, immaculately and lovingly kept is more appropriate. To say they are friendly and welcoming is an understatement of the highest order; you will feel like you've known them for ages after just one visit.

The sundae I chose to have for dinner on this visit consisted of chocolate malt (self-explanatory), chocolate mint chip (chips in CHOCOLATE mint - genius yum), and maple waffle (delicious pieces of waffle cone in maple flavored vanilla) ice creams topped with hot fudge, peanut butter sandwich cookies, sprinkles, whipped cream, a cherry, and a warm brownie on the side. Then for dessert I had a cup of the soft serve twist: chocolate and cake batter. On the way home I was wishing I'd had a chocolate float too! Ah well, it's already on the docket for the next visit.

Sincerely, I can't say enough nice things about this place. It's adorable, the food is incredible, and the owners genuinely make you feel like they're glad you came. So, what are you waiting for? Go there already!