Essay

The New Counter Culture

If the picture you have in your mind of the quintessential counterperson is the Soup Nazi or the guy at a New York-style deli whose gruffness has a sharper edge than the knife he uses to slice pastrami, snap out of the past and get with a new model in which intimacy, interaction and immediacy of engagement are purposeful and well-planned.

by Andy Clurfeld, March 2025

**Benet O’Brien behind the counter at Porta Rossa; in background, Matt Ruzga, Sam Tavormina and Fatima Orellana**

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PORTA ROSSA PASTA & PROVISIONS, 160 Jacoby Street, Maplewood. 973-821-9445. Website: www.portarossanj.com. Email: info@portarossanj.com. Follow on Instagram @porta_rossa_nj.