Hungrygrrl

It was like I’d walked into someone’s house–the long table set up facing the kitchen with clusters of people eating and talking. I’d been wanting to check out Lunch Counter for a week and I’d planned to order something to go, but I felt almost bad not eating there. It had such a nice vibe.

Culinary Communion has gone through many transitions this past year, moving from West Seattle to Beacon Hill, and then opening “The Swinery,” a side business where they make their own meat. Lunch Counter is their latest venture, currently open 11am-2pm Tues-Wed-Thurs, but slated to be five days a week in April.

The menu is ambitious. The make all the meat in house: corned beef for the reuben, slow cooked pork for the carolina barbecue (Chef Katie Colman is from South Carolina). With all the trimmings too–inhouse made aioli, mustarda, and the like. There are a few soups, salads, even dessert. And of course a truffled grilled cheese for the vegetarians.

A bit overwhelmed by my options, I went for the pork belly. I’ve already had their bacon and I was craving pork. I opted for the flourless chocolate cake for dessert as I have become powerless over chocolate.

As he wrapped up my parcels Gabriel Claycamp (the owner) glanced up at me, “You took one of my classes didn’t you?”

I was impressed, that was over a year ago.

When I got home I bit into the crusty bread to find the pork belly warm, lucious, rich, salty—everything pork should be. All that porky goodness neeeded balance though, a lot more than some red pepper pesto could provide. I dug through my fridge and found some sharp honey mustard which did the trick. A chutney would have worked well too.

The flourless chocolate cake was a little disappointing, but I think my brain was already programmed for brownie. wanted that crunchy outer coating. It did have a nice sauce to offset the richness, I think it was apricot.

Now for the sad news—Gabriel has just declared (literally an hour ago) that Culinary Communion is going bankrupt. They’re planning to keep Lunch Counter going, and to keep making meat from The Swinery, which is good news. It’s the meat that really makes this place.

As I walked out of Lunch Counter, I was thinking this could be my new favorite lunch place, rivaling even Salumi. If only it stays open. Maybe they could serve dinner.

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Lunch Counter
2524 Beacon Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98144
www.culinarycommunion.com
(206) 284-8687