I’m not a candy person. To be honest, trick-or-cheeseburger is more my style. But I get that it’s hard-wired in some people. Case in point, I have a daughter who auto-drools if she’s within 600 yards of a family-size bag of sour gummy bears (Haribo, please). Even in the dead of winter. It’s amazing. Something akin to a highly trained bomb sniffing dog. The girl has some serious post-apocalyptic survival skills.

But costumes are right up my alley. Hell, I wear a funny shirt and an apron to work most days. And can I just say for the record; you often get some strange looks when you’re pumping gas late at night in a chef’s outfit. I think if I got out of a beat up white van to pump the gas, people would run off into the woods to hide. Pro tip: waving in said uniform makes you even creepier. But I’m used to it. So there is that part of Halloween that is a natural fit.

So on Halloween, yes, we’re dressing up. And, yes, there will be candy. But it just wouldn’t be right not to put something savory into the mix. Am I right? So, like last year, the Acme crew is throwing a little shindig. 5-7 pm out in the parking lot. We will cook an oh-so-delicious lowcountry boil of shrimp, sausage, sweet corn, and potatoes – with plenty of cocktail sauce and napkins. And we’ll have several delicious things to drink, don’t you worry. The “treat” is that all the food is on us. The “trick?” When the food’s gone, it’s gone. Just like Halloween. Beverages are going to run you $5. We’ll have a DJ for a little monster mash-up. And costumes are, needless to say, heartily encouraged. The plan is for the food to appear right around 6pm.

And next weekend is Salt & Smoke V, our annual celebration of fall in the South. In just 9 days. Saturday, November 4^th. 3 – 8 pm at Rock Quarry Farm right outside of town. Oh, yes, you’re invited. But keep in mind, these last tickets always sell incredibly fast as we get closer to the event. We can’t wait. The hogs are ordered from Firsthand Foods and all the oysters and the clams from Shooting Point. The bands are set. And we’re thrilled that Greg Humphries is flying down form Brooklyn to headline. Foothills is getting the beer together. Topo Organic Spirits is bottling some of their new, delicious spiced rum for the occasion and trotting out their organic Carolina wheat whiskey. And DeMaison selections has selected just the right wines for the feast. And all next week, Acme will get up early and chop and mix and taste and prep all the other things that make Salt & Smoke so damn delicious. Isn’t about time for you to get your South on?

Tonight’s the night for those who want a little taste of what’s to come next Saturday. Oyster Half-y Hour is back. And that’s true Every. Single. Thursday. Those same beautiful Hog Island Salts from Shooting Point Oyster Co. that we’ll be shucking at Salt & Smoke. Repeat after me: Half-shells. Half-price. Half the night (5:30 to 7:30). Have to say, from where I stand, that’s not half bad. Really? You have something better to do?

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

Cheers,
The Staff at Acme