Stars In The Queen City

The stars have aligned in Charlotte, NC. Well… 1 star actually, but the star in question is bringing a name and a voice to the culinary scene in North Carolina.

counter, located in Charlotte, NC just earned the very first Michelin Star for any restaurant in the state of North Carolina. A truly impressive and crowning achievement for most people who pursue a career in the culinary arts. counter is the brainchild of North Carolina native Sam Hart who is the Executive Chef and Co-Founder of the newest crowning jewel in the Charlotte, NC food scene.  According to the Michelin Star guide, counter is described as a” boldly immersive experience which features shifting concepts fueled by Chef Hart’s multifarious passions and creativity, drawing on themes of nostalgia, music, personal history and more on a multicourse tasting menu.” Look, I can’t sit here and honestly say I know what all of these words mean but it sounds nice and surely this new honor and recognition will have locals and some non-locals flocking to taste the flavors that has the folks at the Michelin Guide buzzing.

So, now you’re probably wondering, what does any of this mean? Well, as a member of the lower middle class who has no prior experience in fine dining but a bit of information to share on this subject, let me break it down for you....

Michelin Stars are a sub-section of the “Michelin Guide” which is released every year by Michelin (yes, the tire company). What once started off as a guide for French Drivers to find places to eat, sleep, or get gas, the guide eventually turned into a rating system for the world’s finest culinary establishments. You will not find your local Applebee’s on this list. No matter how high the sanitation grade is or how strong the bartender makes those never-ending Long Island Iced Teas.

Michelin Stars are sort of the Oscars, Grammys, or Super Bowl in the world of food. Michelin will assign stars based on different designations. 1 Star (which is what counter has been awarded) means “High Quality Cooking. 2 Stars means” Excellent Cooking” and 3 Stars means “Exceptional Cusisine”. There are currently only 157 restaurants in the entire world with 3 Stars. Don’t let the number of stars fool you either. Yes, 3 Stars is great but if you get any amount of stars, you are essentially still one of the best restaurants in the world.

Anyone who means anything in the world of food has most likely been awarded a Michelin Star. For example, Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsey has been issued 8 Michelin Stars across his illustrious career. If you’re asking yourself, “Who is Gordon Ramsey?” He is the British chef on all of those cooking competition shows who is always yelling at people for undercooking their scallops. Also, I don’t want to spread the false narrative that you can’t be a successful chef without a Michelin Star, because it is possible. I mean, there are several Hall Of Famers without Championships.

Much like the tires though, any restaurant that dons a Michelin Star may be a little too expensive for the common everyday driver or food lover. For example, if you would like to dine at counter, it will range anywhere from $100-$225 per person, but that price does include several courses over several hours. Also, these menus are much more than steak and pomme frites, most of the time Michelin Star restaurants refer to their menus as “experiences” which could be pretty interesting. Two of the current menus at counter (which are both currently booked and sold out for the foreseeable future) are dedicated to the specific regions in North Carolina: The Mountains, The Piedmont and The Coast. For their “Winter: Home” experience, the website brags “Throughout the year, Chef Sam and team have trekked through their home of North Carolina region by region. Coast to Piedmont to Mountain, the Counter- crew have showcased the incredible diversity and abundance of the Tarheel State.”

I think what Chef Sam Hunt has done for the Charlotte and North Carolina Food Scene is something to be celebrated. Even as a common food lover who’s most daring culinary risk has been ordering a steak medium rare, I do find what counter is doing very exciting. Not just for me but for our state. Getting national recognition by cooking meals made strictly from the items grown in our state is something to be proud of. I hope that Chef Sam Hart will continue to drive and pave a way for the culinary future of North Carolina. I also hope that what counter has accomplished will inspire and motivate other local chefs and restaurants now that they have seen this be achieved here locally.

Will I ever eat at counter? Maybe, maybe not. It’s kind of difficult now because it’s literally impossible to get a reservation but that only means that other people are getting to experience some of the things that makes this state great.