Executive Chef and Owner Sam Hart named Axios Charlotte Power Player 2023
On November 29, 2023, Executive Chef and Owner Sam Hart was named an Axios Charlotte Power Player for 2023. Axios Charlotte Power Players celebrates the most influential business leaders and rising stars.
For more information on Axios Charlotte Power Players, visit the Axios website.
Two Counter- Chefs Named Unpretentious Palate's 2023 People of the Year
On Monday, November 13, two Counter- chefs were named among Unpretentious Palate’s 2023 People of the Year at The UPPY Awards. Winners were announced live at the event which took place at Middle C Jazz in Uptown Charlotte.
Pastry Chef of Counter-, Faith Morley, was awarded the 2023 Pastry Chef of the Year for her root vegetable tart that was part of Counter-’s Here & Now menu showcasing the bounty of local produce. “If food were a love language, Faith Morley’s root vegetable tart would embody it. From the tart’s stunning ombré visuals to the crust that crumbled delicately in your mouth, the dish showed a dedication to craft in flavor, storytelling, and sheer work hours. It’s that dedication that makes Morley among the best in town.”
Executive Chef and Owner of Counter-, Sam Hart, was honored with the 2023 Chef of the Year for their work to advocate for change within the restaurant industry. “Another year, another step closer to Charlotte earning its first James Beard Award, with Sam Hart of Counter- becoming the second local chef to make it to the Finalist round. Yet instead of viewing the honor as an indication of their success as a chef, Hart has used the opportunity as an expanded platform to advocate for change. That change touches a wide spectrum of the restaurant industry, from a living wage for all to preventing soil depletion and never putting customers above the wellbeing of staff.”
View the full list of winners at Unpretentious Palate’s website.
Counter- Receives Two Glasses by Wine Spectator
Counter- Group received Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for 2023—ranking Counter- Group’s wine list among the top 1,500 wine lists in the world.
Counter- Group received Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for 2023—ranking Counter- Group’s wine list among the top 1,500 wine lists in the world.
Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.
To win the Best of Award of Excellence, a restaurant must display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team.
For more information about the best of award of excellence, visit the Wine Spectator website.
Chef Sam Hart named Finalist for the 2023 James Beard Awards: Best Chef in the Southeast
Counter- and Biblio Executive Chef and Owner Sam Hart was named a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Awards®: Best Chef Southeast.
Counter- and Biblio Executive Chef and Owner Sam Hart was named a finalist for the 2023 James Beard Awards®: Best Chef Southeast. Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards—established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991—are one of five separate recognition programs of the Awards. The 2023 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including the new Award for Outstanding Bakery.
5 things to know before eating at Counter-
36 seconds. That’s how long it took for Counter- to sell out its re-opening weekend in December.
What’s happening: Counter-, whose chef Sam Hart was nominated for best chef in the Southeast, recently moved to a new venue in Wesley Heights, next to its sister restaurant Biblioand Legion Brewing.
Why it matters: With its immersive experience, unique flavors and ever-changing menu, Counter- is the type of restaurant you’d expect to see in food-centric cities like New York, Las Vegas, or Chicago.
Counter- named Semifinalist in the 2023 James Beard Awards: Best Chef in the Southeast
Today the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists for the James Beard Awards® were announced. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards—established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991—are one of five separate recognition programs of the Awards. The 2023 Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists are recognized across 23 categories, including the new Award for Outstanding Bakery.
Sam Hart is semifinalist for Best Chef in the Southeast!
Your ultimate guide to 140+ restaurants that opened in Charlotte in 2022 (or will open soon)
Counter- was mentioned in Charlotte’s Five guide to restaurants in Charlotte.
Counter- owner and chef Sam Hart hired chef Alex Wnorowski, who has worked at Three-Star Michelin restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, to lead the kitchen at Counter-’s new location.
Sommeliers Dig Into Their Top Bottles Of 2022
Forbes talked to sommeliers about their favorite bottles of wine, and counter’s wine director, Bill Cox, had this to say:
Bill Cox, the wine director of Counter- in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been making a case for wines from Etna in the mountains of Sicily all year long. “This region is putting out beautiful wine and people are starting to talk about it. It’s delicious and great for the American palate. East Coast Americans are growing more adventurous but still like a certain degree of brightness, and wines from Etna deliver that mouthfeel with complex fruit character and other components you don’t find in West Coast wines. Etna wines, like etna rosse, are also a great value compared to Italians DOCGs. Whereas a Brunello or Barola may retail for $50, an Etna is closer to $15.”