Veggie Conquest

New York has Deborah Gavito to thank for Counter, the wonderful and classy vegetarian bistro and organic bar, in the East Village. Counter is an independently owned, sole proprietorship serving vegetarian and vegan cuisine since 2002.

Deborah got her start in New York City seventeen years ago with $300 in her pocket, bartering for kitchen space and a borrowed car to lug around her 50-pound bags of flour. The result was Body & Soul, the vegan baked goods stand at the Union Square Greenmarket. The success of Body & Soul, which continues to be a staple at the Greenmarket, eventually generated the capital to open Counter.

This fall Deborah is relaunching Counter. The new team behind the launch is General Manager Joseph Lennon, from Restaurant Florent; Chef Whitney Aycock; Mixologist Penny Bittone; and Elena Balletta, one of the very best vegan pasty chefs anywhere. Counter has enhanced its Earth-friendly vibe with Chef Aycock’s new small plates menu featuring local, sustainable and organic vegetables that mesh perfectly with Counter’s first class organic bar featuring: 300 organic and biodynamic wines, and every organic beer and spirit available.

We are very excited to have Deborah join our wonderful panel of  judges for Challenge# 2!