@jmaurry, White Carrara tends to have a fairly consistent look. Most granite companies in an area are buying their slabs from the same suppliers, so you should go directly to distributors to choose a slab. Like Urrutia said, marble is a great material for counters, you just have to know that there is more of a chance that you many get a nick or small discoloration here and there over the years, which certainly seems worth it to me. If you don't go marble, I would encourage you to look at quartzites instead of man made materials (which can never really replicated natural stone). Quartzite is a natural, quarried stone like marble or granite. It tends to look like marble, but is harder than granite. Two of the more popular quartzites are White Macaubas Quartzite and Super White Quartzite (aka White Fantasy Quartzite). White Macaubas can have a Carrara-esqe look.