The Counter: Meat & Accessories

My roommate and I were on a mission for meat, we opted out of the club scene and headed to The Counter for lunch. If you’ve never been there it’s a build your own burger joint with class. She and I went all out splitting a basket of half sweet potato and half regular fries. Delish. For the burger I didn’t mess around: (the oh so longed for) beef, brie, sautéed mushrooms, fried onion strings with garlic sauce. An afternoon delight that will leave you winded and sadly, with no chances of sex. The possibilities were endless and tasty. It was your typical burger place offering fries and shakes, but with a bar inside seemed like it could turn into a hoppin’ place later. I enjoyed the feast; I just recommend channeling your inner savage before so you don’t look like a fool by having to request a fork.

The Perfect Yuppie Tea Retreat

Samovar: Practice Peace. Drink Tea. Easier said than done. The airy little restaurant intrigued me with its head-to-toe sanctuary appeal, all for tea. Though how relaxed can you feel when everyone is wearing their suites awkwardly working to eat over the thin wooden tables? Or worse the 2 foot high table that seemed to be made out of a Chinese gong. Original none the less. Seeing the place packed with business men took the authenticity out of the place for me, with such a passion for peace I expected 90% more hippies to be present.
I was a little overwhelmed by the bilingual menu with dishes like Ginger Quinoa Waffle or the Jook( I’m still baffled as to what these are). Since I knew I needed to try their tea I went with a pairing: the Russian Chay Platter & Bottomless Samovar House-Blend Black Tea. I was then taken to the majestic Samovar (aka where you get the refills.) Delicious black tea, I must have had 4 cups at least. Potently caffeinated (I went strong ‘til 1 am!).
My meal was basically an elaborate fruit platter. I did enjoy the variety and everything on the plate was a great quality. Smoked white fish took the cake, except for the brownie which had a lovely hit of cinnamon. The only thing I didn’t finish were the wheat crackers. Yes, that’s right, this dry diet food appeared on my lunch plate. No thank you. It was a nice place to land in San Francisco and I would recommend it, especially if you thirst for tea.