Counter
Manhattan, New York City

UPDATE: Counter has since down-sized its menu considerably and now only offers simple sandwiches and salads and appetizers. I think the prices are too high for what they offer (the only dish that stood out to any of the four of us was the seitan burger).

Their alcohol prices are also steep. When I came back a second time I had a draft beer and we shared a paprika popcorn ($3) which was really tasty and one of the cheapest things on the menu (that said, how expensive is it to make popcorn and then sprinkle paprika on top?).

I'd come back to Counter mostly just for the ambience and location. Also, it doesn't seem to get too crowded, so this is a good spot if you're looking to accommodate a larger group of people.

Original review: Counter is decent at best, but this rating rests heavily on its location, atmosphere and generous portions. The service was friendly. But for the most part, I found the food to be bland and uninspiring, especially considering the hefty price tag. My paella was large, but had no zing to it; it seemed more like a mishmash of fresh vegetables, with little thought to seasoning or taste. Similarly the "tornadoes of seitan" was something more akin to a cloudy day; there was no "pop" to the dish. In the end, I found Counter to be an imitation of other upscale NYC joints like Blossom or Candle 79; though it charges in the same price range as those two, Counter fails to bring the accompanying expectation of taste and novelty.

I had a phenomenal meal at Counter. I have to disagree with some of the previous posts. I thought my meal at Counter was much better than similar meals that I have eaten at Blossom and at Candle 79.

My date and I started off our meal with a round of drinks. I ordered the "Tie Me To the Bedpost" (a lavender and rosemary-infused vodka, topped with cranberry and lime juices). The rosemary taste mixed nicely with the cranberry, but the lavender seemed to be overpowered by the other flavors.
I later ordered an "R-rated Root Beer," which is one of the two best drinks I have ever tasted. Seriously. Imagine sarsaparilla, wintergreen and vanilla-infused vodka topped with Tahitian vanilla soy ice cream... I probably should have saved it for dessert, but I just couldn't help myself.

Next, we ordered a round of appetizers. I loved the potato almond gnocchi, served with a lemon-thyme sauce and crispy sage. Both my date and I agreed that the crispy sage was the best part of the appetizer. It resembled a potato chip in texture, but absorbed the flavor of the lemon sauce very well and added its own savory taste.

For my entree, I decided to try the Italian Farmhouse Panini. At first I was a bit skeptical about the idea of eating a sandwich for dinner, but this sandwich was every bit as delicious as it was unpretentious. The sweetness of the plum tomatoes juxtaposed with saltiness of the bread and the crunchiness of the Italian ciabatta juxtaposed with the creaminess of the rosemary aoli sauce and the walnut-lentil pate made every bite exciting.

The dessert was the only part of the meal that I wasn't absolutely thrilled with. I ordered the vegan creme brulee, which had a texture and flavor that more closely resembled cheesecake than creme brulee. It wasn't bad, but I had really gotten my hopes up (I've only ever once found good vegan creme brulee at a restaurant and it was at The Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon, California - unfortunately, a little too far away from where I live).

Aside from my minor disappointment in the dessert that I ordered, the only other real complaint that I have about Counter is that the restaurant faces a fast food restaurant (which featured a large picture of a burger on the wall - not the most appetizing sight for vegans to look at while eating). Everything else (the service, the ambience, the food) was fabulous.