Is there any way to avoid fruit flies with my fruit on the counter rather than the fridge?
You've described exactly me and my apartment.   I like bowls of fruit on the counter, but I don't like the inevitable fruit flies.  But I actually haven't had a fruit fly problem for about two years now.  The solution is to simply lay something over the bowl of fruit.  Make sure it's breathable, or your fruit will ripen really fast.  Cheesecloth, a towel, or piece of netting will all work fine.

This works because the fruit flies can't reach the fruit, so they can't use it to feed and reproduce.  That's same reason putting your fruit in the fridge works.

I have noticed that the fruit still ripen more quickly compared to an uncovered bowl.  This can be a benefit or a drawback, depending on your situation.  Also, a bowl with something over isn't as pretty as an open bowl full of fruit.  But given the choice, I prefer good fruit and no pests.