April 16th, 2026

Greetings from Carrboro,

It’s easy to rationalize. The list of the pros and cons surrounding most fateful choices usually aligns with the decision we’ve already made. Discerning divine providence and some degree of self-congratulatory wisdom are deeply preferred to looking back with any hint that we might have screwed up. And where we live is high on the rationalization list.

Because face it; if we didn’t, each of us would probably choose the south of France. My mother provided a litany of reasons why we were lucky to live in our corner of the South – meaning here. It usually had something to do with food or her oft cited belief that we were sooo lucky to live somewhere that had all four seasons. This was a bit of a mantra. She would say in all seriousness that people in Hawaii deeply missed winter. Let’s just say she wasn’t afraid of rose-colored glasses.

But I did buy into her notion that the south had great food. And that peaches and tomatoes and corn on the cob and all that deliciousness made up for the heat and humidity and bugs and, well, you name it. After death-defying, 8-hour football practices in August, I’d lie exhausted on the cold, linoleum floor of our kitchen and she’d coax me into the shower by telling me what she was making for dinner. A constant carrot to a southern summer’s relentless stick.

Though at this point in my life, the question of nature or nurture is moot. Because regardless I do get excited when the seasons churn. I’m easily thrilled by the homegrown foods that speak to the time of year, especially those that are fleetingly temporal. Strawberries, figs, tomatoes, okra. And specifically today – April 16th – the glories of soft shell crabs. Salvador brought them up from the coast this morning. We should have them all weekend. So if you want to rationalize why it’s a great idea to live right here, right now, this is a damn good place to start.

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

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme