5/2

Greetings from Carrboro,

We’ve gotten some serious push back from the Receptionist Union. Serious. Then a phalanx of Wal-Mart greeters threatened to picket. Cheerfully. And even that formidable blue menace didn’t shake our resolve. No way. The staff at Acme is valiantly standing our ground. If this is the hill we die on, so be it. Because pushing aside National Receptionist Day just had to be done. Damn the consequences. Well-behaved restaurants rarely make history.

So, here it is. Acme’s Third Annual Dynamic-Creative-Intelligent-Beautiful-Women-Who-Also-Happen-To-Be-Mothers’ Day. Next Wednesday. May 9th. And true to form, all moms’ entrees are on us. Yes, that’s right. Free. No moolah. Nada. Gratis. I think you can see why we stiffened our backbone. This is gonna be big.

To kick off our “We Love Mom” week at the restaurant, Acme is thrilled to host a wine dinner with Dutch/French winemaker Lidewij van Wilgen of Mas des Dames fame (www.masdesdames.fr). This Sunday, May 6th. 6:30 in the evening. This mother of three (notice the mom theme) makes some of the most sought after wines from the South of France from her 18th century farmhouse. These are handmade, small production wines that are perfect with Acme’s southern palate. $55 per person. Reservations are required (919 929 2263). Space is very limited. Menu is below. 

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Mas des Dames Dinner

Sunday, May 6th – 6:30 in the Evening

First

Sea Scallop and Shrimp Ceviche

Cucumber, Pineapple, Basil, Masa Crackers

2010 Mas des Dames Blanc

Second

Flash Fried Carolina Soft Shell Crab

Lemon, Olive Oil, Green Garlic, Olives

2010 Mas des Dames Rosé

Third

Grilled Carolina Quail

Foie Gras, Corn Pudding, Wild Mushrooms, Arugula

2009 Mas des Dames  “La Dame” Rouge

Fourth

Grilled and Braised Fresh Lamb

Saffron Risotto, Dante Cheese, May Carrots

2007 Mas des Dames “la Diva” Rouge

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme 

Reservations online or 919 929 2263

 3/27/12

Greetings from Carrboro,

My father grew up in Cincinnati going to Reds baseball games. And he swore up and down that he was in his teens before he realized that the last two words of the national anthem were not “Play Ball!” For any and everyone, certain things just seem to go together. Right or wrong. And we like it that way. Take Easter and Brunch – a bona fide, natural fit. A homerun, if you will. Like Duke’s mayo on a BBQ sandwich! OK, maybe that’s just me.

And you see, I’m not convinced that it’s solely the obvious egg angle that binds Easter to Brunch. Though they do, admittedly, have that in common. Experience tells me the bond is something deeper. Because whatever it is, the tie that binds one to the other is STRONG. You want proof? It survived these oh-so-warm-and-cuddly Acme Holiday moments:

1) Serving rabbit. Yes. I swear. We did that. 

2) Cooking jellybeans in pancakes. For those of you playing at home – molten, gelatinous sugar + rabidly hungry children = very bad idea. Very.

3) Thinking that “Tequila Sunrise Service” would be an Easter sales juggernaut. Sacred cocktails? Not so much. Amen.

As this is our 15th Easter brunch, I’d like to think we’re over such holiday-centric pitfalls. Or pratfalls. We’re just going to cook. And do it really well. Locally sourced ham. Hot cross buns. Fresh strawberries. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. And biscuits and waffles and omelets and doughnuts. Yum. Yum. By all means, reservations are recommended (919 929 2263). You might even call it a religious experience. Play Ball!

Speaking of religious experiences – are you sitting down? Yes, I mean you – Soft shell crabs arrive tomorrow! Beautiful, fresh soft shell crabs. The essence of Spring on a plate. Is there anything better than that? But we only have so many…

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

reservations online or 919 929 2263

 3/7

Greetings from Carrboro,

The first “professional” wine tasting that I ever went to was in an apartment over Cliff’s Meat Market. Easily 20+ years ago. The stairs squeaked terribly. Certain steps were even marked with duct tape to avoid so as not to fall through. It was a warm Spring night. Late by most standards. Just after work for us. People climbed out the apartment window and sat on the roof behind Cliff’s to smoke. It was midnight before we started. 

I don’t remember all that much about what we learned. Or what the occasion was. I do remember that the table was covered with lots of candles. And that early on, a girl spilled a rather too-full martini into the bowl of pretzels. But one thing stayed with me. I tasted really, really great Pinot Noir. It was exotic and delicious and simply the best thing that I’d ever tasted. I pulled an old order ticket out of my pocket and wrote the words PINOT NOIR on the back. And then I put the paper in my wallet – right behind my driver’s license – so I’d never forget.

Tomorrow night – Thursday, March 8th – Acme is having our own little Pinot Noir shindig. But upscale and Acme-fied. We’ve teamed up with Patricia Green Cellars from Oregon. And Jim Anderson is coming out from the Oregon Wine Country to showcase some of their most sought after wines (wwwpatriciagreencellars.com). And, well, we thought we’d cook some delicious food to go along with the wine. What the hell. That is what we do, after all. Please note that it’s a small dinner, so seats are limited. To say the least. $50 per person for the five course dinner. Reservations are required (919 929 2263). We will start at 6:30. Menu is below. It’s going to be splendid. And no one will spill a martini in your dinner. Promise.

Spring is a good thing.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Patricia Green Cellars Dinner

Thursday, March 8th 

Black River Farmstead Goat Cheese Risotto, Grilled Fennel, Spring Peas

2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Pan-Seared Scallops, Creamed Leeks, Wild Mushrooms, Truffle

2010 Reserve Pinot Noir

Braised Lamb, Cous Cous, Parsnips, Mint

2010 Pinot Noir ‘Bishop Creek’

Smoked Pork Cheeks, Butter Beans, Bourbon Carrots

2010 Estate Pinot Noir & 2010 Estate ‘Old Vine’ Pinot Noir

Dark Chocolate Terrine, Preserved Strawberries

2010 Notorious Pinot Noir

2/24

Greetings from Carrboro,

The patio is open! February is the new March! Exclamation points are the new periods! (For those of you playing along at home, if I ever venture so far as an emoticon, euthanasia may be called for.) But, hey, there is shad roe – Shad Roe! – in  the kitchen. From the Neuse River. And nearly perfect Virginia oysters waiting to be shucked. The shortribs just came out of the oven. And macaroni and cheese just went in. So you see my enthusiasm is, at least, partially justified. But my manic kitchen jigs still scare the line cooks. Oh, well. At least I always put my knife down.

And on top of all that excitement, we’re doing a secret-shh-don’t-tell-a-soul wine dinner that’s been sold out for weeks. Tonight. Friday. Only 20 seats. Five courses of the classic food of New Orleans with serious, off-the-charts Sonoma Zinfandels (www.wineguerilla.com). And with the winemaker, Bruce Patch, thrown in for good measure. Why would I mention a sold out wine dinner? Because four very sad people just had to cancel. That means there are four (4) seats suddenly available. Crazy. If you want them, they’re yours. First come, first served. I guess you figured that. $75 per person. Starts at 7pm. Tonight. Call us (919 929 2263) to reserve or if there are questions. The seats will go fast.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Reservations online or 919 929 2263

 2/16

Greetings from Carrboro,

 Internships are nothing new in restaurants. You’ve seen Ratatouille, right? Nowadays, all the cool people say stage (pronounced staj) to make their apprenticeships sound fancy. Face it: there’s nothing quite like a French-sounding word to make the culinary world genuflect. And, honestly, what would you choose to order from a restaurant menu – “paté” or “cold potted organ meat spread?” Exactly.

 But what is new is having an intern from Copenhagen. And not Copenhagen, NY. Uh-uh. The one in Denmark. With all the bicycles. Christina Larson has been working at Acme for a couple of months now, getting her head around Southern food, but tonight she’s going back to her roots and offering lucky diners the chance to taste a real Danish feast. Gravlax and pork belly and rye bread are just the beginning. Oh, it’ll be delicious.

 There’s only so much. And only tonight. Reservations are definitely suggested, and Acme will also be serving our regular menu all night long.

 And did I mention Shad Roe? The first true sign of Spring comes to Acme. Pan-fried with cheese grits and a brown butter-caper-and lemon pan sauce. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, it does. Food is good.

 Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Reservations online or 919 929 2263

Greetings from Carrboro,

Men of the world, look out – here he comes. Cupid. It’s important not to dwell too much on how the image of a well-armed toddler is supposed to evoke romance. You with me? Hell, I’ve seen what a darling little tot can do with a dry erase marker, a sofa and the amount of time it takes daddy to go potty. Not pretty. So, the thought of handing over a weapon to a diaper-clad cherub does not give me any warm, fuzzywuzzy thoughts. Hardly. But here we are.

Let me be clear; Valentine’s Day should cause a wee bit of panic. Not the overwhelming large-comet-hitting-Earth-panic. More like the doctor’s-appointment-sitting-on-crinkly-paper variety of panic. You know. The kind of butterflies eased by clean underwear and breath mints. Preparation, needless to say, is key.

This year, Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday. In three Tuesdays to be exact. Something like 25000 minutes. But who’s counting? Tick. Tock. And there’s this thing called $12.95 Tuesday that we do around here. It’s, well, pretty damn popular. So what to do when one juggernaut slams into another? Something, as they say, has to give. Our attempts to move Valentine’s Day did not go over so well with the Hallmark people. They had already printed their silly cards and were not so keen to cross out “14” and hand write in “15.” Lazy schmucks. So, we – Acme – did the noble thing and saved Cupid’s big day. Yes, Carrboro, you’re welcome.

We moved $12.95 Tuesday to Monday, February 13^th! Because 12.95 is close to 13! Genius, right? For one week only, Acme will make Monday your Funday. Every Entrée. $12.95. We could call it Valentine’s Day for Insiders. Or for hipsters. Sure beats the crap out of a Whitman’s Sampler. The way we figure it, the only real panic you’ll have is whether to come to Acme on Monday or Tuesday. Either way, we hope you’ll go with the clean underwear plan. Altoids are completely your call.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Greetings from Carrboro,

Lord, the faces I must have made. Year after year. Every single time that I tried one. For my father, the whole thing was a time-honored rite of passage. He was sure the path to manhood was paved with polishing shoes, holding doors for women, and eating oysters on the half-shell. And probably in reverse order. To his dismay, I didn’t get the memo – I preferred fried shrimp with ketchup. Watching his son eat spaghetti at the Prince Neptune Raw Bar in Miami must have been an affront to all his sensibilities. Regardless of how shiny my shoes were.

Times change. Thank God. While the shoe polishing has certainly fallen off rather precipitously over the years, the raw oyster lust has made up for lost time. And this winter, Acme is thrilled to have partnered with Tom Gallivan of Shooting Point Oyster Company (www.shootingpointoysters.com) to offer his family’s hand-cultured heirloom oysters from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Beautiful, briny, Southern oysters. The most delicious I’ve ever had. With fresh lump crab and lemon. It doesn’t get much better than that. OK. Maybe add a cold beer. Or three.

I have the distinct feeling that my father would approve.

Winter Clam and Collard Stew. Forever Roasted Pig. Carolina Flounder. Flash Fried Calamari. Chocolate Pecan Pie. Dayboat Scallops. Grapefruit and Jicama Salad. Braised Wild Boar and Venison. Fresh rolled Pasta! Grilled Beef Tenderloin. Shrimp Chile Relleno. Pecan Crusted Fried Chicken. Wild Salmon. The all-new Church Supper Platter. Oysters on the Half-Shell. Now, that’s what I call dinner.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Reservations online or 919 929 2263

1/5/12

Greetings from Carrboro,

There’s nothing quite like a looming apocalypse to quash ambitious New Year’s resolutions. I’m not sure if this end-of-days involves volcanoes, flaming meteors and general geological mayhem or if this is the type where the chosen get whooshed naked to paradise leaving the rest of the clothed masses to feel rather ambivalent about global warming and the federal debt and all the time we spent in Sunday school. Either way, resolving to bike to work twice a week seems rather pointless. As does finally cleaning out the attic. But, on the good side, heroically trying every flavor of Ben and Jerry’s would be eminently doable. Hey. Who knew that apocalyptic determinism had its upside?

The way we see it at Acme, this whole end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it thing has to be good for business. Has to. Nobody’s bucket list features “Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak.” No-body. Or “that thing swathed in plastic wrap in the back corner of the freezer.” Please. Putting off delicious is never, ever a good idea. Especially now. Hello? The clock is ticking. So, to that end, we’ve made our New Year’s resolution to be better than ever. To be delicious squared. Just for you. Because if a biscuit and gravy won’t save your soul, what will? Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Macaroni and cheese. Hallelujah.

Pan-Seared Sea Bass. Steak Frites. Braised Wild Boar and Venison. Fried Oysters. Lobster and Monkfish Pot Pie. Arugula, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad. Dayboat Scallops.  Shrimp and Mahi Mahi Jambalaya. Pecan Crusted Fried Chicken. Cane Creek Cheeseburgers. Smoked Wahoo and Local Goat Cheese. Pan Seared Duck with Wild Pear Chutney. Coconut Pound Cake with Fresh Tangerine Sauce. Calamari. Forever Roasted Pig. Wild Salmon. Crab Cakes.

Acme. Almost heaven. Definitely Carrboro.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The Staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Reservations online or 919 929 2263

Greetings from Carrboro,

There’s nothing quite like a looming apocalypse to quash ambitious New Year’s resolutions. I’m not sure if this end-of-days involves volcanoes, flaming meteors and general geological mayhem or if this is the type where the chosen get whooshed naked to paradise leaving the rest of the clothed masses to feel rather ambivalent about global warming and the federal debt and all the time we spent in Sunday school. Either way, resolving to bike to work twice a week seems rather pointless. As does finally cleaning out the attic. But, on the good side, heroically trying every flavor of Ben and Jerry’s would be eminently doable. Hey. Who knew that apocalyptic determinism had its upside?

The way we see it at Acme, this whole end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it thing has to be good for business. Has to. Nobody’s bucket list features “Lean Cuisine Salisbury Steak.” No-body. Or “that thing swathed in plastic wrap in the back corner of the freezer.” Please. Putting off delicious is never, ever a good idea. Especially now. Hello? The clock is ticking. So, to that end, we’ve made our New Year’s resolution to be better than ever. To be delicious squared. Just for you. Because if a biscuit and gravy won’t save you, what will? Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Macaroni and cheese. Hallelujah.

Pan-Seared Sea Bass. Steak Frites. Braised Wild Boar and Venison. Fried Oysters. Lobster and Monkfish Pot Pie. Arugula, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad. Dayboat Scallops.  Shrimp and Mahi Mahi Jambalaya. Pecan Crusted Fried Chicken. Cane Creek Cheeseburgers. Smoked Wahoo and Local Goat Cheese. Pan Seared Duck with Wild Pear Chutney. Coconut Pound Cake with Fresh Tangerine Sauce. Calamari. Forever Roasted Pig. Wild Salmon. Crab Cakes. Damn good food. Not damned.

Acme. Almost heaven. Definitely Carrboro.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The Staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme

Spring is here! Outdoor dining. Soft shell crabs. Strawberry margaritas. Local cucumbers, squash, and arugula. Perfect cheeseburgers. Honestly, does it get any better than that?