Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, April 21, 2018

8

FOOD & DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 21, 2018 


TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

thechefknows@yahoo.com

THE COUNTER, REVISITED PART 4

Over the last year there are two restaurants which I 
reviewed that I left scratching my head. It was my 
initial visit to each, and maybe it is intuition or too 
many Twilight Zone episodes, but I could not escape 
a feeling that something more was going on at these 
restaurants. I hate to admit it, but sometimes I may 
just concentrate on enjoying my meal too much 
and only give a cursory once over to the restaurant. 
Even when I am at the height of awareness it is often 
necessary to make a second visit to fully appreciate 
a restaurant. One of the restaurants that has haunted 
me is Malbec, on Green Street. The other is the topic 
of today’s conversation, The Counter, on Shoppers 
Lane, in Pasadena. It’s has been a year since my 
last visit to The Counter. So, when my race track 
buddy Jon Davenport asked if I wanted to go to The 
Counter for lunch, I accepted with a sharpened pencil 
in hand.

I enjoyed my last experience at The Counter, but I 
don’t think that after my initial review the owners 
would be booking a limo for this return trip.

The Counter Restaurant has been open for over eight 
years in Pasadena. The Pasadena located is in the 
Old Indian Restaurant, Raddika’s. You will not be 
confused in the slightest because the layout of The 
Counter is entirely different. Guess what, you may be 
surprised, but there really is no counter, Jon, bravely 
offered that the bar was the counter, but I thought it 
looked like, you guessed it,… a bar. We sat at the 
counter and were treated to some real stellar service 
from Steve( I think) an aspiring student at PCC. 

We started off our meal with the French fries, shoestrings fries for $7, I have had worse. Jon was 
pleased with them and thought they were good. These fries are cooked in a French fry style. Ok, let’s 
move past the appetizers and on to the main course. The Counter gives you the option of build your own 
burger, or you can create your own from the menu. I determined to fly the coop on this trip and go with 
the Bison Burger, a 1/3 lb for ($16). I doctored it up with mustard and green Ortega chilies. I thought it 
was well prepared. Jon had the Old School ($10.50). This is an All-Natural ground beef burger, cover in 
a rich slice of Tillamook Cheese that warmly ripples over the top. It is completed with a leaf of lettuce, 
an onion, a pickle and a splendid red radish sauce. 

Now, I partook of a less daring adventure at The Counter, but I recommend you try the burger. Grab 
a sheet and start checking off what you’d like from the menu, begin with step #1 and finish with step 
#4. A convenient way to engineer your own beautiful burger, it is a little more expensive but you get it 
your way.

Jon and I give the experience two forks up. It was nice to get another opinion, just to make certain 
that I have not lost the old character of palate. The Counter 140 S. Shoppers Ln., Pasadena. www.
thecounterburger.com

Join me at 3 PM on KLAA Radio AM 830 this Saturday at 3 PM


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com