Counter: the East Coast Edition

I've been watching the construction of Counter in West Hartford's Blue Back Square for awhile now and the same question kept crossing my mind. Was this the same Counter that I enjoyed in Los Angeles a few years back?

The answer was "yes".

I stopped in yesterday for a late lunch and the place was bustling. The hostess initially tried to seat me at the counter (literally) as one is apt to do when a patron dines solo but with a lack of counter seating, I wound up at a four top in the middle of the dining room.

I decided to build my own burger instead of choosing one off their regular menu. Looking back to my former post on Counter, I pretty much built the same burger this time around. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit.

My choice was a 1/3 lb turkey burger with Gruyere cheese, sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, and baby greens on a honey wheat bun. I also opted for a side of the peppercorn steak sauce which was basically an au jus. On the fry-side, I chose to go "fifty-fifty": a smart combo of sweet potato and regular fries.

The fries were excellent. Crispy and well-seasoned with the sweet potato version having a slight edge over the Idaho's. The burger was a tad overdone but nothing that a dip in the au jus didn't help remedy. (Next time I'll request medium rare) The mushrooms were pretty good and the onions were tasty, although a few raw onions slipped into the mix.

This burger creation, fries and a diet soda ran me just under 20 bucks, not cheap. The food was quality but a bit overpriced, a trend of most establishments in this new "hip" part of West Hartford.