Greetings from Carrboro,

They were free. If memory serves, the only caveat was that we had to sell Perrier. That was a small price to pay for five, quite large table umbrellas; the Perrier logos adorning each didn’t bother me in the least. It was certainly better than Mountain Dew. I’m not completely sure where the money came from to buy the tables and chairs from Lowe’s but they somehow appeared. And with them the advent of al fresco dining at the restaurant.

There was some kind of tabletop candle/lantern, though the vast majority of light came from the street lamp that illuminated the parking lot. There was no music, no fountain, no fans. At night, cars turning into the parking lot forced people to shield their eyes. I was so proud. Until a summer storm blew one of the umbrellas tumbling down the block and into a tree somewhere behind Armadillo Grill.

It only took 20+ years to get it right. But it was worth the wait. Saying rainproof in the South is never completely accurate – raindrops blowing sideways is a thing – so we’ll just say that the patio is not insignificantly inured to rain. Translation? It’s pretty damn hard to get wet. And we’ll also say that it’s a hell of a great place to have dinner. Or brunch. Large gatherings or small. Special occasions or, well, random Thursdays. And if you leave your cell phone in the car, it’s about perfect.

But even with your cell phone, adding soft shell crabs to the mix can approach perfection. Lucky for you, that’s in the cards this weekend. And the weather gods are promising to accommodate with their April best. You have to admit, this alignment of celestial bodies must be the theme for this week. Though you don’t have to wear those special glasses to dinner to see this one. But go ahead, you do you.

This weekend at Acme: Speckled sea trout, little neck clams, and flounder from Salvador and Tom Robinson’s Seafood. Strawberry margaritas. Local asparagus with country ham and a sunnyside up Latta’s egg. Perfect chocolate mousse. Chili-rubbed beef ribeye. Yes, soft shell crabs. Acme wedge salad. Pecan-crusted fried chicken. Warm, whipped ricotta. Southern mushroom pie. Blackened salmon. Acme smashburgers. Roasted spring carrots. Grilled pork tenderloin. Key lime pie. Seared yellowfin tuna. Calamari salad. Forever roasted pig. Just so much rosé. You get my drift; spring is better here.

At brunch, all of our brunch entrees continue to be $10 throughout spring. Because Sundays deserve to be delicious. And bloody Marys are always a good idea.

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

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme