With all the recent hype about the fabulous green gastro-pub, COUNTER, in nyc, i figured it was time to write that post i’d been sitting on for months. (My moon sign is Taurus, which tends to make me a lazy-ass procrastinator). A week or so ago the New York Times wrote them up in an article on healthy cocktails, which was quite worth musing, as noted by TLM.

WHAT SIGN IS COUNTER?
Astrologer Nadine Kennedy gave me me a few tips on how best to to discern the astrological sign of a bar or restaurant:
1) Most important, is the day of opening.
2) However, the day of breaking ground or starting renovations would also play a role in the chart.
3) And the day on which important paperwork was signed or filed (ie, liquor license, name filing, etc.) is also significant.
BUT, it’s not the in the budget here at IZ to allow for the hiring of PI’s to track down such details. Hence I’m sticking to the opening day of the joint. Here goes…

THE ASTROLOGY OF COUNTER:
Opened on March 6th, COUNTER is a PISCES, “the day of beauty lovers.”

The first thing that struck me upon entering the watery bistro was it’s sage green walls. Pisces’ color is a SOFT SEA FOAM GREEN! Woah…

Pisces element is WATER, and the large candle display on the wall was dripping like a giant frozen WATERFALL!

Bottles of LIQUID were placed prominently around the restaurant. Huge containers of spirit infusions, along with racks of decorative wines, and an impressive martini bar, were all meant to be noticed. Able to DRINK LIKE A FISH, Pisces produces more ALCOHOLICS than any other sign! (This is thanks to the dreamy and addictive influence exerted by Neptune and Jupiter, in that order).

Pisces is the sign of two fishes, struggling to swim in opposite directions. One hoping to dive to the bottom of ocean and hide from life in a seaweed forest. The other could be a flying fish, and leap right out of the ocean, it’s aim is so high. These opposite-natured fish must learn to swim in harmony with each other, but they never truly will. Theirs is the burden of knowing that both pain and pleasure exist in our world, and even more so, in their mind. COUNTER serves a bottle of wine for $10, and another for $10,000 (seriously). such extremes are life for pisces.

Even the art was matted with a light green color. Stereoscopic photographs were mounted on several walls, taken of the restarant’s own herb & edible flower rooftop garden. Upon request, stereo viewers are available to view these pictures (which makes the images so clear, it’s like looking at the actual flower itself.) My dad collects antique stereo views, so I know a thing or two about them. In the days before television, this was entertainment.

COUNTER makes a point of serving green booze. If it’s not certified organic, then it’s close. These days, the organic certification standards are so high, and so expensive, that a lot of brands have opted not to pursue it. But with a little research it is relatively easy to figure out which ones use organic grains, or renewable energy, or recycled packaging – and are hence “light” green. Dark green refers to die-hard environmentalist standards, and light to, well, lighter standards. In my book, anyone that makes some sort of a conscious effort is helping to solve our polar bear problem.

They also serve kosher spirits. Oy vey, who knew?!
A healthy selection of boidynamic wines are also on their list.

The libations are flirtatiously & creatively named, with titles such as NOT TONIGHT DEAR (above: juniper gin, sweet & dry vermouth, muddled raspberries) and THE ANGRY LESBIAN (tarragon-infused vodka with framboise, young ginger & orange nectar). I never tasted one of these, but she was rather good. Each drink has it’s own cute little tale. My fave was TIE ME TO THE BEDPOST, made with lavender & rosemary infused vodka, topped with cranberry and lime nectar. “According to local lore in Gloucestershire, England, rosemary only thrives if the mistress of the house is also the master.

COUNTER offers delicious, organic vegetarian and vegan fare, along with an admiral cocktail menu. Their wine and spirit list is equally impressive. The Atmosphere’s casual cool, and the price is right with tipples for the taking at twelve bucks a pop.

THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF BIRTHDAYS by Gary Goldschneider & Joost Eiffers lists March 6 as “The Day of the Beauty Lovers”. (this is an amazingly accurate read btw, totally worth picking up, or flipping to your page in Barnes & Noble).
***As always, go to amazon through Kittykind to give them a 15% donation.