I spent 13 years living in Chicago, never more than three miles from Alinea, the famed Michelin 3-star restaurant (or AAA 5 Diamond for those who prefer their restaurant reviews to come from a different automotive company). I never ate there, though, and when my wife and I moved to Charlotte to run away from winter, I thought my chance had passed. Then, I discovered Counter-<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Before I go any further, let me save you a headache. You can just read the name as \u201ccounter.\u201d The \u201c-\u201d is meant to let you add any word you see fit. Counter-culture. Counter-intuitive. Counter-espionage. OK, maybe not that last one, but you get the point. <\/p>\n The restaurant flies counter to traditional fine dining. It\u2019s not stuffy, classical, or laid out like a dinner party from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous<\/em>. Chef Sam Hart<\/strong><\/a> focuses on bringing attention to people who might not ordinarily land in the spotlight. <\/p>\n That includes people like rising chefs who might typically be heads down in the kitchen of most restaurants and local artists whose works adorn the walls and inspire dishes. Music also plays a big role in the meal, although it leans more toward picking the perfect song for a dish\u2026 or a week-long special menu based entirely around Outkast.<\/p>\n Counter- is an intimate, full sensory restaurant experience featuring themed 10- and 14- course tasting menus created by Executive Chef and Owner Sam Hart (a 2023 James Beard Awards Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast). Designed to evoke emotion throughout the dining experience by utilizing sound, taste, and art as a vehicle, the menus rotate quarterly and are driven by sense-based storylines such as music, modern art, and mental health.<\/p>\n Via the Counter- website<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let\u2019s get it out of the way. The food at Counter- is absolutely amazing. It\u2019s unique. It\u2019s creative. It\u2019s occasionally comprised of ingredients you literally can\u2019t go out and buy, regardless of where you are. Quite frankly, it\u2019s probably the best food I\u2019ve had in 40 years, and I used to weigh almost 250 lbs, so you know I\u2019ve done some eating in my day.<\/p>\n But people don\u2019t pay $1,000 to eat dinner (the 14-course meal is $235, and wine pairings can add up to $325). Counter- offers a truly immersive experience, and that\u2019s what sets it apart. When my wife and I visited, the menu theme was modern art. They didn\u2019t just serve up dishes in an artist\u2019s style, though. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n Every course had a story. Sure, they told you what you were eating, but Hart \u2013 or whichever staff member created the dish \u2013 brought you into their world and shared their inspiration and passion. We weren\u2019t waiting for them to be quiet so we could eat. We anxiously awaited the next course to learn more.<\/p>\n This is also the first time non-alcoholic drinks didn\u2019t feel like an afterthought. Wine pairings are certainly the star of the beverage show, but a tremendous amount of thought and care went into creating spiritless drinks that rang true to their namesake cocktails but were driven by clever culinary combinations, not just taking the tequila out of a margarita. <\/p>\n I used to think \u201cexperiential dining\u201d was a gimmick, and I\u2019m sure most places that fall into the category are (I\u2019m looking at you, Rain Forest Cafe). But Counter- nails the concept and turns a meal into an occasion that will be seared into my memory like the super prime striploin that led the \u201cFuck Pablo Picasso\u201d course. <\/p>\n If you want to go from the gutter to butter for your next meal, I can\u2019t recommend Counter- enough. A few of their upcoming menu themes<\/strong><\/a> for this year are Street Food, Here & Now, Curry, and Time\u2026 not to mention a special all-desserts menu. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Interior_counter_Credit-Kenty-Chung.jpg?resize=770%2C513&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nIt may be fine dining, but Counter- isn\u2019t serving on white linens with 16 different types of forks.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
From the horse\u2019s mouth<\/h3>\n
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![\"kapoor\"](\"https:\/\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/kapoor-scaled.jpg\" "\\"kapoor\\"")
<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gilot-scaled.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA few things to know<\/h3>\n