Join the counter culture: Diners get up-close view of action from seats that overlook kitchen.

From: Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) | Date: March 2, 2006 | Copyright information

Byline: Judy Hevrdejs

Mar. 2--Have a big appetite for reality TV?

A seat at one of the kitchen counters in Chicago's upscale eateries has all the elements.

There's drama! Watch chefs juggle skillets, copper pots, knives and 700 plates on a busy Saturday night at posh Avenues in the Peninsula Chicago hotel.

And thrills! See pastry pro Luis Gonzalez torch a crisp finish on creme brulee at Roy's.

Fancy knife work? Yep. Creative tension? That too. Flames? Maybe.

A counter seat blends the camaraderie of a local coffee shop with the up-close-and-personal ...

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