I a used a product several years ago called 'good stuff' on a butcher block counter top for big kitchen island that a customer wanted. I had some left over so did a couple of cutting boards with it as well for myself. That cutting board is still going strong and has survived many washings. Good Stuff is safe for food, so no worries there. Amazon and many others sell it. Search for 'emmets good stuff finish'.
Go to the Fine Homebuilding site and do a search for wood counter tops. Sometime in the last 1-2 years they had an article on building wood counter tops and the finishing steps used in protecting them. It can be done with careful planning.
Here are some pictures of my walnut countertop with an under-mount stainless steel sink. I've had good results using Waterlox finish and followed their finish schedule. Be sure to finish the underside of the countertop around the sink opening as well as the inside of the holes for the fixtures with Waterlox. After it's all finished, mount the sink and fixtures and seal them with clear silicone. It takes a while for the finish to completely cure to the desired hardness. Until that happens, treat the counters with TLC.
Waterlox polishes nicely with oil and rottenstone if you want a high-gloss finish. I used the satin finish because I didn't want it to show smudges and scratches. I think the beauty of the wood comes through more. The catch... Their satin finish is high in solids and quite thick. It doesn't flatten out as well as their Sealer/Finish which is somewhat glossy. It left brush marks. I called them... They told me I could thin the Satin product with mineral spirits (not low odor) and some of the regular Sealer/Finish (much runnier than the satin) so that it would flow and flatten out better. It worked beautifully.
Do not apply wax over the Waterlox finish. One of the nice things about Waterlox is you can repair damage by reapplying new finish over the old. However, if you use wax the finish won't adhere and there is not way to remove all of the wax once applied.
I hope all of this helps you. I've attached a couple of photos I posted of the bar top and my Scrap Pile Wall.
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