Greetings from Carrboro,

There needs to be a hotline. Like the Butterball cooking gurus you can call on Thanksgiving Day to save the meal when you’re terrified that your all-important turkey may be doomed. Some kind soul to talk you off the holiday ledge. Because Valentine’s Day seriously needs guardrails to keep you from skidding off into the abyss.

So when you call and say, “My wife swears that the only thing she wants are new insoles for her work shoes,” someone is on the other end to tell you, “Just no. Under no circumstance do you ever purchase insoles as a Valentine’s gift. Save yourself.” Or when you call wondering if a trip to Mexico is a good gift idea, they can remind you, “You just met them at a dog park on Thursday when they mentioned that they had an Uncle named Milo. Hoping aside, having a dog the same name as someone’s uncle does not – by itself – translate to a romantic Valentine getaway. Try coffee first.”

Because face it, Valentine’s is all about having appropriate parameters. And mostly steering people back towards the big three: flowers, chocolate, and dinner. Wandering further afield is ok for those more adept at gift giving. But for the rest of us, it can get messy. That online listicle about “20 Cool Gifts this Valentine’s Day” is a trap. Do not go there. You’ll end up with a parakeet or a subscription to a Condiment-of-the-Month Club. At least three of those mustards I never even opened.

And the closer Valentine’s Day gets, the more likely everyone is to skid into the abyss. Desperation is never your friend. So why not get it out of the way now? Then you can relax and not pay attention to all the various sirens calling to you from the rocks of romance. Shockingly, we think that a Valentine’s dinner at Acme is a great idea. And starting today, those reservations are available. Just think, that box could be checked with four weeks to spare. Acme will be open 5pm – 10pm on February 14th. Yes, there will be specials that evening but we will also be offering our regular menu. It’s safe to say that delicious never goes out of style.

And if you are looking for an especially fab gift, Atlas will have its third cocktail class on Sunday,  February 11th starting at 4pm. Tickets are $40 and are first come, first served. The class will focus on the classic Sidecar and its many variations. As with the earlier classes, each participant will get a cocktail glass to take home with them and some delicious drinks along the way. Why limit the holiday? Maybe it should be Valentine’s Week?

And our seafood collaboration this weekend with Salvador from Tom Robinson’s Seafood is cold weather’s favorite, monkfish. He’s driving it up from the coast today. It’s just about the freshest seafood anywhere. With weather like this, eating fish is a whole lot more fun than catching it. And like last week, we will 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