Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/976908
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 18 MAY 2018 diversity of styles that is reected in Perdue's modern American menu, which ranges from light, healthy Eastern inuences to American classics to luscious umami-laden Italian. e rich, creamy polenta sits squarely in umami territory. Oered as a starter, but ideal paired with a salad for an indulgent main course, the polenta looks simple but is surprisingly complex. Served with meaty mushrooms, it is topped with an egg cooked sous vide for four hours, to the perfect consistency of fully cooked white and runny yolk, and then rolled in bread crumbs and pan-seared. e whole thing is drizzled with a slow-cooked chicken jus. It's almost too rich… almost, but not quite. As the restaurant becomes established, chef Perdue expects to work with many local producers for his seasonal menu, hopefully starting this spring. For example, his take on a classic lunch counter meal of soup and sandwich is the duck cont toast—a gener- ous slice of bread, topped with herbed ricotta, golden raisins, and of course a heap of duck cont, served with a cup of seasonal soup. e opening menu featured a thick, slightly sweet chestnut soup, but as the seasons change, the / E AT+ D R I N K / accoutrements, from the bread to the soup, will evolve—perhaps spring will bring a bright pea soup as a side, using veggies from a local farmer. e same seasonal adaptations will bring variety to Counter's other entrées. On a recent visit, four plump, perfectly seared diver scal- lops were served with roasted split Brussels sprouts and a parsnip purée, while the tender grass-fed let of beef came with sunchokes and pearl onions. e bar menu is on trend, with lots of local spirits and a few drinks featuring cur- rent industry darling Green Chartreuse. For a cocktail with a show, try the Fae's Fire, a blend of Deacon Giles gin and absinthe along with green Chartreuse set ablaze in a scooped-out lime. Fans of Fireball liquor should check out Counter's house-made version in the Road to Gehenna—a mouth-blazing combination of bourbon infused with a whole lot of cinnamon and some clove-spiked honey syrup. e dessert menu was created by Perdue's wife, Serena, and features a lot of tempting house-made ice cream. Even if dessert isn't usually your thing, don't miss the grapefruit tart; a shortbread crust is lled with gin- ger cream, topped with slices of fresh pink grapefruit and served alongside a scoop of the brightest, avored basil ice cream. Sophisti- cated, balanced, and grown up. PHOTOGRAPHS, LEFT TO RIGHT, COURTESY OF LARK HOTELS, BY BRIAN DeMELLO CONTACT Street level of The Hotel Salem, 209 Essex St., Salem,978-451-4818,countersalem.com EXECUTIVE CHEF Justin Perdue Clockwise from left, The interior, grapefruit tart, the Faés Fire cocktail, and the duck confit toast served with seasonal soup.