Counter— An Ode to North Carolina

I dined at the newly minted Michelin-starred restaurant Counter-, North Carolina's one and only, and it is easy to see why they earned this accolade. It's a restaurant with an expiration date, as they have a set amount of menus they will make before they shut down, and | just so happened to have the exact middle menu. Now l am by no means a food expert. Most of you reading this undoubtedly have a more refined palate and a deeper pocket to be able to have more of an expertise than myself. However, what I can definitively tell you is that eating at Counter- was the best dining experience of my life.

The menu, which they just rolled out earlier this week, was an ode to Nouvelle cuisine and those who had a quintessential role in shaping it. But more so than that, it was an homage to the foods, ingredients, and peoples of North Carolina, which, being a Carolinian myself, was a beautiful, almost tear-jerking thing. Chef Sam Hart and Pastry Chef Faith Morley, incorporate almost exclusively ingredients found in North Carolina, which in and of itself, was a very eye-opening experience because I was ignorant to the fact that this state contains such amazing and passionate farmers, cultivators, and bastions of purposeful, well-thought-out, and sustainable cuisine. Because of this, some of the classic Nouvelle dishes that you all might be accustomed to were given a southern flare.

Throughout the meal, Chef Sam Hart was schooling us on some of the famous ground-breaking chets, and also musicians that paved the way to greatness. A wild assortment of music blared over the speakers as we were given some of the most interesting dishes I've ever tasted. Have I had better food? Yes. Have I seen better presentation? Yes. But have I seen a chef more passionate, personable, and overall fun than Sam Hart? No. No I have not. And that is what made Counter- an absolutely sensational restaurant.

It left me sad to think that this restaurant will inevitably shut its doors. But it was explained that they want that looming date hanging over their heads so that they can work, create, imagine as if there is a fire underneath them and create something great. And it's obvious that the concept is working because that pressure cooker of an environment has created nothing short of a diamond shining brightly in Charlotte, NC and the South East as a whole.