by Ebony L. Morman

In high school, pastry chef Faith Morley enrolled in a special program with a focus on baking, culinary, and hospitality. At 15 years old, she found an enthusiasm for pastry that would shape her life.

“The baking and pastry program really drove home that this was what I was passionate about,” she says. “I always enjoyed being in the kitchen but once I actually started that program and was in a true kitchen, not just the home kitchen, I was like ‘Wow, this is awesome.’” 

After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, Morley made her way to Charlotte in 2008. She got her start here with Noble Food & Pursuits, where she worked early morning shifts producing bread and pastries for the restaurant group. In search of a fast-paced environment, she spent three years as Peppervine’s pastry chef prior to finding her place at Counter- in 2022. A desire to break out of her comfort zone as well as a hope to hone her craft by learning and practicing new techniques and different cooking styles is what brought Morley to the restaurant, which is known for its revolving—and themed—tasting menus. 

Unpretentious Palate: What’s special about Counter-? 
Faith Morley: Counter- is not a restaurant, Counter- is an experience. It’s more than just food. I think what we’re doing is super unique and different compared to other places here in Charlotte because aside from the food, we do try to make sure the guest has the best experience possible. And in regards to that, we accommodate all of all dietary restrictions. We love to do these things called night makers. So if you’re dining with us, we listen in on some things and if we hear you talk about something, maybe we can use that to fuel our night makers. One time we overheard a guest saying how it was their birthday and it would be funny if the staff sang “Happy Birthday” Chili’s style. We like to have fun, but we also know when we need to be serious and professional. I think the most important part is that all of us really care a lot. The coolest part is that I noticed that guests feed off of our energy. I’ve noticed when we’re upbeat, when we’re trying our all to push that experience to make sure everyone is having a great time and actually following through, they pick up on our excitement and our care. 

UP: Can you expand on where your passion for pastry started? 
FM: Growing up, my mom was never the chef in the kitchen. My dad was the cook. My mom would bake, and she would do all the holiday baking. I would always get super excited whenever I was in the kitchen helping them, whether it was peeling carrots with my dad or helping my mom make the holiday cookies and always getting to lick the spoon. 

UP: Where do you find inspiration for your desserts? 
FM:  I love to travel and experience new flavors that are unfamiliar. It helps me expand my palate and learn new techniques or bring new ingredients to the table. I pull inspiration from memories and experiences and then I do something that people are familiar with, but also putting my own twist on it, flipping it on its head. It’s actually funny that Chef [Sam Hart] tasked me with the dessert of making a McDonald’s apple pie version. I grew up going to McDonald’s all the time, and I loved those apple pies. I think that pulling inspiration just from that little thing for this menu specifically was really cool. [The final dessert] was my own idea. I knew it was supposed to be a McDonald’s apple pie, but I don’t want you to think that when you see it.

UP: Describe your approach to pastry.
FM: It starts with the thing that people are familiar with, and I don’t like my desserts to be sweet. I approach things in a way where I think about balance, I think about texture and temperature. So whether that has to be incorporating savory elements like spices, herbs, something salty, or acidic, that helps me develop an approach so that it won’t just be a dessert. It will be more balanced and also have hints of something that you wouldn’t expect.

UP: What flavor combinations do you prefer? 
FM: There’s a pretty wide spectrum, but I just love fall in general. It’s just something about warm spices that is very comforting to me. I also love bright, acidic flavors that pop and are more complex than you’d expect. For our previous menu, “Time,” we focused on the effect time has on food. There was one dessert that was super bright. It was tart. It had a little bit of sweetness here and there. We utilized blackened lime, spruce tip honey, and lingonberries. It was an amazing combination of flavors that tasted different with each bite. 

UP: What makes the most interesting dessert on the current menu stand out? 
FM: I think this whole menu (which is drive-thru themed) is pretty cool because we’re taking something familiar, but turning them into upscale versions of themselves. The one dish that stands out for me would be my final dessert because we just put in a new dessert parlor. Guests are taken from the dining room through the archives kitchen and then brought into the final room for their final dessert. It’s kind of awesome because they don’t know what they’re expecting. When you walk in, it’s this cool space with the projector and speakers. We serve a dish called the “Frosted Orange” from The Varsity in Atlanta. It’s our version of that. It’s five different textures of orange and six different textures of cream. One by one, we come by, and individually, each chef has an item, so we plate it right in front of you. It’s really cool to end on that note. This drive-thru menu is basically the first menu where we actually have this dessert parlor but it will be a part of our experience going forward.

UP: What is the most enjoyable aspect of your work?
FM: Creativity. Because we change the menu so often, and there’s always something new to do. I heard someone say you’re not learning when you’re comfortable. Sometimes, it’s good to be uncomfortable. That’s a really cool part. But the most enjoyable thing is the team. It’s great because we learn from each other daily. We have each other’s backs, and we build each other up. That’s a positive thing to have because a lot of kitchens don’t have a staff or a team that is as committed and has each other’s back the way that we do.

UP: How do you take a dessert from idea to manifestation? 
FM: A lot of it is interpretation, and interpretation is based on your own idea. As long as I’m able to translate my idea and have the connection between the story we’re telling and our dish, that’s really important. For example, locally sourced ingredients are amazing here because there are so many farms in Charlotte from which we get amazing ingredients. It’s almost like a mystery box sometimes. A lot of inspiration starts with what people are familiar with. I take that onset and translate it onto the dish and make sure I have a story that connects with it.

UP: Why is storytelling an important part of the Counter- experience?
FM: It’s very important because some of our menus have an important story, like “Drive-Thru” is about sustainability. A previous menu, “Here and Now,” showcased the local produce here in Charlotte and musical talent. It was about the rich culture that Charlotte has and through telling that story, we allowed people to understand what’s available to them. 

UP: Why is Counter- important to the community? 
FM: We’re partners with two nonprofits here in Charlotte; one of them is Time Out Youth, and the other is The Relatives, which focuses on empowering young people in crisis and the LGBTQ+ plus communities here in Charlotte. Not only do we help raise money for those nonprofits by donating, but it was really cool to be involved recently. We did a luncheon for The Relatives’ On Ramp Resource Center. Just being able to go there and actually see what we were being involved in was really cool. I also think that we’re bringing something different to Charlotte. A lot of people told chef Sam that something like this wouldn’t work here. We wanted to showcase that it can be done here and the food scene here in Charlotte is truly vital. We are trying to help progress that culture within Charlotte. 

UP: What was your response to winning the 2023 UPPY for Pastry Chef of the Year?
FM: I was very surprised and nervous. I wasn’t expecting to be nominated for it. To be in the category with Lex Druhan (300 East) and Ann Marie Stefaney (Restaurant Constance), two very talented chefs, was truly an honor. I’m super grateful for that. I don’t give myself a lot of credit. It kind of opened my eyes. It’s hard for me to think of myself as a chef. You know you’re good at what you do, but that was validation. I was like, “Wow, I’m really going in the right direction here.”