2010 summer close out with a burger throwdown between BGR Burger Joint in Old Town Alexandria and Counter Burger at Reston Town Center!

The Rundown

BGR is similar to Fosters Grille.  While Fosters runs the Nascar/Sports theme, BGR is rock ‘n roll–but not 1960s Hard Rock cafe style.

At BGR, its the ’80s with rock music videos running on a loop–all the better to remind the middle aged they are indeed older.

Yet BGR is popular amongst all age groups while targeting the retro ’80s crowd.

Counter is technically a sit down cafe with china plates and waiter service.

They also have a popular take out service.  Decor and ambiance is Euro-bistro in increasingly chic-y steel and glass Reston Town Center.

Counter targets tech creatives and style mavens although is welcoming and comfortable to all but the cut offs crowd.

Check In

BGR has a typical fast food line up to order similar to Chipolte.  Staff is never too busy to offer samples of shake flavors or engage in a friendly give ‘n take with customers or a point-wink at the kids.

Counter has a hostess stand and guests order appetizers table side prior to their burger main course.

The Fries

Counter Burger has various types of fries including the unique Parmesan fries–nearly shoestring with herbs topped by grated melted cheese.

At 1350 calories per single serving, no wonder they’re good!

A stop by Counter is worth it just to take out these fries!  Huge serving easy to share.

At BGR Burger Joint, had the sweet potato fries.  Always a fan of wedges, BGR’s too thin fries came a bit too oil soaked to fully enjoy the flavor of the sweet potato.

BGR even offers “Green Fries”:  grilled asparagus spears sprinkled with Parmesan.

No thanks.

Fillin’ Up

BGR does the organic thing with its meat.  Service is slow and they like it that way.  All the better to cook up a great burger.

The burger itself is lean and depending on toppings, pretty big yet misses the fatty flavor of a Five Guys.  The original BGR sauces ties it all together however.

Counter cooks slow as well yet their burger seemed to come out almost too lean.  With no fat at all, the meat seems a bit dense–almost packed puree’d–and heavy/flavorless.

Yet the flavor responsibility is on the eater.

A long list of toppings is offered for the “custom built burger”.  Don’t get too wild here.  Some things just don’t taste good together.  Ordering on paper is similar to Fosters.  Many, many choices for those with conversation on their minds.

Shakes

Both places offer typical non/carbonated juices and drinks yet Counter comes through with a smoother chocolate shake than BGR’s still solid offering which wanders in the direction of kiddie sweetness.

Elevation Burgers still tops all with its smooth, slightly bitter chocolate, ice crystalized creme creations served in a frosted steel cup.

Throwdown Time!

Counter’s staff is very accommodating yet heavy crowds mean lines form quickly and out the door.  Take out patrons wait outside as eager guests wait for an empty table.

The lack of semi casual restaurants at Reston TC means even the outside seating is insufficient to handle the busiest times.  While Counter’s waiters offer desert, its just easier–and less calorific–to pay the bill and head next door the gelato place.

BGR Old Town has a wider space and booths add to a diner allure.

Both are solid places to eat but if a BGR were located right next to a Counter, I would walk into the BGR first.

Counter is a bit foo-foo for a real casual place.

The organic meat may have been taken too far.

One of our party felt the burger was just too big and took a doggie bag/tray.  Later found out, horror of horrors, the leftovers were THROWN OUT! 

Uh, oh.  Organic food may be fresh right now, but lack of preservatives means it doesn’t last.

BGR is a small local start up chain with stores inside the beltway and fits perfectly into the funky casual atmosphere of Old Town.

Counter is a So-Cal (southern California–2 states there you know) chain which is expanded to the east coast with its Reston store.

As the Sweet Green Salad assembly place and Red Velvet Cupcakery join the Pitango Gelato within sight of each other, demand for Counter Burger will only get busier.  The synergistic restaurant cluster is on the Google side of RTC and fills up for lunch and dinner.

Whether BGR or Counter, Northern Virginia’s foodie culture is all the richer for the added burger choices.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

And Happy FY2011!–okay, okay.  Tuesday comes soon enough…:)

But Bobby Flay is opening a burger place soon in DC…lotsa *work* ahead :p.

Burger Throwdown I:  In N Out Vs. Five Guys

Burger Throwdown II:  Ray’s Hell Burgers Vs. Elevation Burgers

Ashburn VA 20147 includes a mix of modern era (1980s+) starter and luxury garaged townhomes.

Past 60 day MRIS  SOLDS include distress sales:

• $328,420 average closed net price.
• 95.83% list to final price.
• 34 average days to market.
• 14 years average age of home.

Large neighborhoods include Ashburn Village, Ashburn Farm and Belmont.

Unincorporated Sterling-Potomac Falls 20165 contains a mix of no garaged townhouses (mostly in Countryside) and luxury dual garaged models (mostly in Cascades).

Past 60 day MLS townhouse closed sales includes distress sales:

• $313,887 average closed net price.
• 94.07% list to final price.
• 48 average days list to ratified contract.
• 17 years average age of home.

Other 20165 communities include Lowes Island and Potomac Lakes.

Sterling Park VA in unincorporated Loudoun County has very few townhouses as early 1970s developers built smaller detached homes to lure bargain hunting homebuyers “out to Loudoun County” prior to the construction of area expressways.

Most 20164 townhouses come with backyards backing to tree save areas and have dedicated parking spaces in front of the homes.

Many area townhouses have seen their kitchens  remodeled with hard surface (tile or laminate hardwood) flooring and modern laminate countertops, appliances, cabinets and fixtures.

Past 60 day MRIS solds include numerous distress sales but do not include townhouse condos:

• $215,080 average final net price.
• 98.61% list to closed price.
• 28 years average age of home.
• 44 average days on the market.

20164 is said to be “built out” and developers infrequently win rezoning requests to build additional townhouses in adjacent light industrial areas.

Victorian design style was most popular in the Gilded age of the 1880s-1910.

Newly wealthy folks one upped each other in multiple exterior colors and frilly edges.

Sometimes these homes are called “Gingerbread Homes”.

San Francisco CA probably has the largest collection of Victorian homes still standing.  Wooden structures were susceptable to DC’s swampy climate so many DC Victorians were built with brick and stone, essentially making the structures priceless as craft skills are fairly non-existent with today’s high labor costs.  Some early century (20th) Arlington homes reflect the Victorian style.

Bay windows shown here are a carryover design element from the Victorian age when skilled craftsmen were inexpensive.  The aluminum awnings are a mid century element (1940s) not in tune with Victorian design.

Victorian exterior and interior colors are recently en vogue yet the frilly, often floral designs are not.

Wood siding, which has probably been painted numerous times, is found on this home in Old Town Leesburg. 

Prior to the US Civil war, stone and wood were the most frequently used and available siding materials until the emergence of industrial techniques to manufacture bricks.

Bricks are an iconic symbol in most older towns from Virginia to Georgia which just happen to have clay soils.

The early industrial era also made colored paints available.  Wealthier homeowners displayed their status via exterior house paint color into the Victorian era of the late 1800s Gilded age.  Whitewash indicated a smaller or no fortune.

While many think of Old Town Alexandria as mostly brick, many structures there exhibit wood siding as befitting a modest seaport.  Port areas were dirty-smelly and only poorly paid laborers lived nearby in colonial times.

Many wooden structures in DC were demolished in the 1930s and 1960s urban renewal programs leaving the brick and stone luxury housing admired in present day.

Leesburg VA has recently been expanding its Old Town area with new brick sidewalks.

The recession caused the US birthrate to plunge in 2009 for the second year in a row according to the National Center For Health Statistics via the San Francisco Chronicle:

“It’s a good-sized decline for one year. Every month is showing a decline from the year before,” said Stephanie Ventura, the demographer who oversaw the report.

The birthrate, which takes into account changes in the population, fell to 13.5 births for every 1,000 people last year.

2007 stands as the record holder with total volume of births.

The birthrate dipped below 20 per 1,000 people in 1932 and did not rise above that level until the early 1940s.

2009’s birth rate is even below that of the Great Depression yet total volume is still significantly higher than the 1970s baby bust/recession years.

Downtown Herndon VA has seen a spate of successful restaurants and small businesses develop in the late 2000s.

While many Northern Virginia communities have either no downtown or a colonial era brick Old Town, Herndon is more of a Clifton style traditional mid western downtown.

Herndon 20170 contains large areas of mid century townhouses built during the beginning years of Dulles Airport.

Recently, many starter homes have been remodeled with hardwood flooring and stainless steel kitchen appliances in preparation for the arrival of the Route 28/Oak Hill metro station.

Past 60 days MLS Townhouse SOLDS includes distress sales:

27 units sold.

• $212,113 average net closed price.
• 99.86% list to final price.
• 28 years average age of home.
• 27 days from list to ratified contract.