Hey, Wood Wizards! I need some help here!  

Ok, I cry Uncle
I'll see how things look once they've been thoroughly cleaned...then I'll decide what to do once I'm looking at the wood in it's true state. Maybe I'll just get a slice of marble and put it on the tops...it's the butcherblock tops that I don't like...the rest of the piece is fine.

For better
or worse, the butcher-block tops (a misnomer, but one that has been too well accepted to be denied; 'real' butcher block is end-grain ?) are a rarity and potentially superior to other options. But I see a less-than ideal grain appearance in the one detail photo. What is their condition ? Can they be made better -- or should they be covered (as you suggest) ?

Yeah, click on the link to photobucket in my first post
you'll see more pix that show the damage to the top. That's the part that needs help. The rest of both pieces are dirty, but not particularly damaged. I did say 'like butcherblock' cuz I did know that it's not really butcherblock, though. I just don't like the look of all those assembled pieces and the finish is damaged, so that's why I went down the road of a restain. Covering it up with a slab of stone oo Corian or something would be fine with me...might look rather spiffy, actually.

Yeah --
a dark leathery brown or green -- or whatever (you're the color lady !).
I think the material can be had as thin as 1/4" or 3/8". . .
Alternative: chocolatey 1/4" tempered hardboard (Masonite) ?
Fallback: since the oak top is different from the other materials used (so would take finishes differently anyway), filling and finishing just that would make sense, rather than staining the whole piece ? You could give it a thick and durable coat of urethane or something. . .?
Enjoy !