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| Turkey burger with chipotle aioli, The Counter |
I'm not sure how it's possible that the Counter started just before I started this blog, when I wasn't paying attention expanded to some two dozen locations including Ireland and Australia, and yet somehow I had never been to one. This strange food blogger oversight was remedied last week when I needed to be at the Directors Guild on Sunset and realized I could have an actual meal before the French film festival. The music is loud, the patrons are reading Kindles and drinking Arrogant Bastard on tap -- it's the new age of L.A. eating, fast, relatively inexpensive and pretty fun to eat. The choices were almost too much to handle, but eventually I ticked off Turkey burger - 1/3 lb., pepper jack cheese, whole wheat bun, chipotle aioli, sliced jalapenos, baby greens and alfafa sprouts. I called it the Mexican Hippie. I had been swilling free French wine at the festival, so I had to pass up the milkshakes and beer, but I thoroughly appreciate the idea of having several decent beers on tap at a hamburger joint, not to mention wine, shakes and malts. The burger itself didn't have a ton of flavor, but the toppings totally compensated. It's not quite burger nirvana, but the Counters are a fine thing to have strewn around the city, and it won't be five years until I go again -- I'm thinking beer float with coffee ice cream, sweet potato fries and...apricot sauce?
I tried The Counter a few years ago and wasn't crazy about it. But, when I visited again a couple months ago, I thought it was really good (really liked their regular fries and sweet fries). So, consider me a new convert!
ReplyDeleteI've been eating at a Counter up in Northern California for a few years, and really enjoy it. It's always fun to build your own burger, and I love their onion strings!
ReplyDeletethat's hysterical! I first went 5 years ago too (to the one in that sort of barren mamet brazilian jiujitsu stretch of santa monica), but then recently noticed them popping up around dga coffee bean and ventura/laurel canyon. anyway, finally went back last week. much better experience. a lot easier to navigate and actually eat (ordering at the table certainly helps.)
ReplyDeleteother plusses: 1) many hot moms at lunch during week (valley.) 2) while not necessarily better than umami or in n out (though close/still very good), the ratio of sheer variety to quality is why you come here. 3) for dessert you can (and by all means should) get the pb malt and put a little bit of salt in there. MUY DELICIOSO.