FINALLY – a hamburger worth savoring!!
We met our friends Michelle and Ben for dinner tonight at a new burger place I’ve been wanting to try: The Counter. It’s one of those build-your-own-style places with toppings like pineapple, fried egg and 12 kinds of cheese. I’ve been craving a good burger (may I take your orrrrder!?) all summer and none of the ones I’ve had have really been perfect, so tonight I decided to forego the “burger salad” option and got a good old fashioned.
Perrrrrrrfect!! Topped with grilled pineapple, blue cheese, pickles and cooked RARE 
That’s apricot sauce on the side (I had a few dips.) I ate 3/4 of my burger and gave the rest to the husband.
I ordered a side salad, but it was totally meh. I still ate it for green crunch.
We also had multiple baskets of fried things on the table, including fabulous sweet potato fries!! I LOVE them and had about a cup’s worth tonight. Worth it, for sure. Didn’t touch those onion rings!
And fried pickles! I had 2 of those too – with apricot sauce.
And a few sips of the husband’s beer –
After we got home the husband and I walked off our burger guts around our 30 minute neighborhood loop. I wait all winter to be able to take evening summer walks 
Working Backwards –
So moving back in time to this afternoon, I did need a snack much earlier than usual – around 3:00. So I had a bowl of Fage, strawberries (4 on the bottom), about 1/3 cup cereal, a tsp of raspberry jam and a new product I received to try out – dried peaches, which I used as dippers. They are by Brothers-All-Natural and are simply dried peach slices. There was nothing added and the whole bag is only about 35 calories. Sweet!
I ate a handful of trail mix around 5 since I was getting hungry and didn’t want to go to dinner starving. Worked like a charm, as always.
Goodnight…zzz
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
A place in NC did a rare burger? Hmmm, every time I ordered one MEDIUM rare I got the whole “it’s state law and we can’t cook it that rare.” Have you ever encountered that?
In any case….dayum, that looks good.
Haha, I used to love those Good Burger skits on “All That”…oh the memories of the good old Nickelodeon days!
I haven’t had a “real” burger in a while (not a big fan of the red meat much anymore) but that one looks tasty!
OH my this looks AMAZING! I live in CA and they just put a sign up in our new shopping strip mall advertising The Counter. I was disappointed until I read your post, and now i can’t wait until it opens in 2 months!! your dinner looks fabulous, you made a great choice!!
ooops double post!* I will be back at school once The Counter opens
, so your post makes me super jealous! Have a great friday!!!!
“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, can I take your order??” Best skit series from “All That,” period.
Yum, looks amazing! I don’t know about grilled pineapple… maybe I should try it!
I love the Counter-their salad bowls that you customize are really good too and those sweet potato fries are to die for! Yummers! Service is always hit and miss for us but we still go because it’s good food.
Yummy!
Question– I see some bloggers have tried the Vivanno (I think that’s what it’s called) smoothie at Starbucks and I know Kath got a sample on her trip… the ingredients say it is made with 2% milk, do you know if you can customize it to make it with skim milk? And any recommendations on which flavor is best?
Thanks if anyone knows
Diane– You can get it with skim milk for sure! I recommend the fruit flavor over the chocolate…but that’s just my personal opinion.
so, in New York, there really are Goodburger restaurants, and every time i walk by them, i totally say in my head “welcome to goodburger, home of the goodburger, may i take your order please.”
Fried Pickles with apricot sauce?!?! Is this yet another thing I am missing out on by not being southern, or is this some new culinary trend I haven’t heard of?
- Heather
Burgers and sweet potato fries?! Sounds amazing! I love the toppings you chose for your burger, pineapple with beef is always so good. And fried pickles..?? They do that?! haha looks good
Wow. What a burger. I am in awe!
AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
I HEART “GOOD BURGER”!! Seriously, it’s one of the best feel good movies of all time and is so freaking hilarious and you are too cute, Miss Kath! Ahem… “may I take your orrrrder!?” tahaha goodness girl, i just love this blog of yours! 
Wow Kath, that meal looks awesome!! A good burger does rock….and those sweet potato fries definitely DO look “wroth it” as you said! Yummy!!
Hope you have a great evening! And thank you so much for adding me to your blog roll! What a happy and exciting site that was!! I’m honored! HA!
Oh yum, I just love burgers and sweet potato fries
But I’ve never heard of fried pickles before!
Wow, that’s some dinner! I’m sort of dying to try fried pickles; they sound quite intriguing (I only recently heard of them for the first time when some Food Network show visited a Charlotte, NC restaurant.)
i think we’ll all be going out this weekend to find the perfect burger place after that post…mmm…
oh man pineapple on hamburger, that looks so goooooooooooood!!
kath i had a serious onion dinner, you probably would’ve yakked.
even my dog doesnt want to give me kisses.
I am OBSESSED with sweet potato fries!! those look super yummy. and i love a burger place that you can be semi “healthy” with the whole wheat bun!!
Thanks for the All That flashback!!
I love the Counter. Its alittle expensive but totally worth the price. I love to get the turkey burger with feta, mixed greens, garlic aoili on the side and grilled onions. It is so good. There is veggie burger is really good too. They make it from scratch!!
I also love the good burger reference!!! Sweet potato fries are definitely one of my favorite foods…
Hey now- we just got a Counter here a few months ago… looks like it might be worth a try!
Fried pickles are the shiz, for those who have not tried them….mmmmm.
Ooooooooooooohhhh, I love sweet potato fries! Yum-O! I’ve never had fried pickles, though. I’ll have to try them sometime!
I’m not a burger gal, though – no meat for me!
*smiles*
Michele
I work at Starbucks and can say that the Vivannos have been really popular…
The chocolate banana blend is really good with soy milk, and the mango orange banana is great if you sub one scoop of protein powder (it comes with three) for matcha powder. And you can always customize the milk!
One more thing–every Vivanno makes about eight extra ounces (wasteful), so try asking for the extra that they otherwise throw out. My store at least will happily give it to you and it’s a great snack for later.
I want to try that apricot sauce. I think I would love it.
hey stranger. Glad to see the Counter reviews were good. Have been meaning to get there. Now have you been to Big Daddy’s Burger Bar? Same type of deal but they have the most amazing turkey burger…brie, apple, bacon…yum!
Have a great weekend. PS. I am finally getting Joe to go see Sex and the City with me tomorrow. I think I am the only girl in America who hasn’t seen it yet. I am stoked!
that is a burger!
mmm, that burger does look amazing! sounds like you had a fun and yummy night out with friends!
I love that you referenced Good Burger. It makes me happy.
yummers, there is no better pairing then pinapple and a burger!
LOVE the wheaty looking bun! Never see those at other hamburger joints! Yum with the pineapple on the burger, make mine well done, though!
BethT ,
We were warned that medium rare was the best they could do, but mine was perfect
caitlinbo ,
I can smell your onion breath from here!
Maran ,
I’ve passed Big Daddy’s but haven’t gone – sounds like another date night! Are you up for lunch with Michelle next week?
K
Looks awesome!
(Not to gross out any veggies out there…) but I am SO a rare burger girl. And I mean RARE. Every time I order a burger, I harass the waiter and explain this over and over, but I always seem to get an overcooked burger. (P.S. 75 Chestnut in Boston is the only place here that does a really good rare burger.)
Anyway, Kath, it looks like you guys enjoyed a really fun summer night!
I’m SO going to the Counter this weekend! Now I’m craving those Fried Pickles! What a great combination!
The Counter sounds great!!
Thanks for the lovely photos Kath! Your blog is really great!! I love coming here and just absorbing your wonderful recipes and food!!
Thanks!
Forgot to ask, what kind of cereal do you eat with your yogurt???
The Counter sounds really good. There’s a place here in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay called The Burger Bar and it’s kind of similar in concept. They have great burgers, turkey burgers, bison, kobe beef, etc. And the toppings… so hard to choose!
I have some of those Brothers fruit, a mix of bananas & strawberries. They’re pretty good mixed into cereal! I bet they’d be good in oats too!
Just moved away from California, and I miss the Counter. Those sweet potato fries were so amazing.
Love yer blog.
