City Counter, the new-school luncheonette that’s opening in the FiDi next week (Monday, May 8), is bringing a fresh perspective to the weekday lunch rush. Founder Harper Matheson’s vision all along has been to create “an oasis for people with only 15 minutes to spend on lunch,” something that is still elusive in the downtown midday feeding frenzy of salads and food trucks.
Chef Sean Thomas of Blue Plate designed the menu, which is a trimmed down version of the traditional multi-page luncheonette offerings. Sandwiches, salads, sides, and dessert are the foundation, with iced tea, sparkling lemonade, classic sodas, beer, and wine.
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Standouts from the menu (in full below) include the deviled egg salad, made with counter sauce (a house sauce of aioli, tamari, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, old bay, dijon, and whole grain mustard), watercress, and crushed salt and vinegar chips on pan de mie, and a tuna melt with tuna salad, three-cheese fondue, and pickled celery on sourdough.
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Located in the old Standard Oil building, City Counter has direct access to Blue Bottle and The Treasury, making it a triumvirate of epi proportions— head to Blue Bottle for coffee, City Counter for lunch, and get a drink at The Treasury later.
At opening, hours will be Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., with breakfast in the works. Stay tuned for more details and photos of the space.