Hey, I totally get where you're at! I was in the exact same spot last year when I redid my Orlando kitchen. My contractor kept saying quartz or granite but I had no clue where to start looking locally. Turns out I stumbled on Edstone  while scrolling through local forums one night  and they had both quartz and granite options with actual slab photos online which made comparing way easier.
Here's what helped me: I visited their showroom and held samples against my cabinet paint. They explained the difference in maintenance (granite needs sealing yearly, quartz doesn't). I compared prices across 3 places but theirs was competitive without feeling pushy. Look for consistent color in quartz and natural variation in granite if you want that one-of-a-kind look. Don't just go online for everything—seeing the actual slab matters because two "Calcutta" slabs can look totally different. My counters went in three weeks later and I still get compliments on them. Just make sure whoever you pick measures your space precisely before fabricating.

Thanks for sharing this! I wish I had seen advice like this before starting my own countertop search. The point about viewing the actual slab in person is so important. I almost picked a quartz pattern online that looked completely different when I saw it under real lighting. I also appreciate the reminder about measuring before fabrication—one small mistake there can become a huge headache later. Hearing that your installation went smoothly and that you're still happy with the result a year later is reassuring for anyone trying to decide between quartz and granite.