Greetings from Carrboro,

My understanding is that he was Italian. Born and raised. World War II had ended and he found himself in my father’s hometown of Cincinnati. The English language was not his strongest suit. At all. But his remarkable tenor singing voice most certainly was. And as mass was in Latin, the man’s linguistic prowess was of little concern to the congregants of my dad’s church; it was his singing that they loved. The man worked maintenance at Crosley Field, the baseball stadium of the hometown Reds.

For a planned memorial service at the church, he was asked by the priest to sing the national anthem. I assume that the priest thought it was fitting. Luckily, the young man knew it by heart from working during the baseball games. Of course, he sang it beautifully. But at the end of the song he melodiously yelled out, “Play ball!” Not exactly the patriotic sendoff for the somber occasion that those assembled were expecting.

I guess that the end of anything is always going to be framed a little by personal experience. For many, summer ends on Labor Day. For others, it’s the equinox. For me, it’s when the late flush of soft shell crabs inevitably arrives. It’s as if the crabs bookend the bounty of summer with the familiar boxes first landing some time in May and then again, well, today. You could almost call it summer’s victory lap, happily waving to its fans. In general I hate to play favorites, but I really feel that the crabs do taste sweeter this time of year. Though I really feel the need to do a bit more research on that subject. You know, just to be sure.

Soft shell crabs. With romesco and rice and arugula. Starting tonight and running all weekend – or until we sell out. You can add a tomato plate for a fitting farewell to summer or a platter of oysters if you’d prefer to welcome in the flavors of fall. Either way, deliciousness awaits.

This weekend @ Acme: soft shell crabs. Okra Gumbo. Pan-seared mahi-mahi. Southern tomato pie. Acme smashburger. Grilled Carolina quail. Cast-iron pork tomahawk. Shooting Point Oysters on the half-shell. Acme cornbread. Shrimp cocktail. Scuppernong pie. Martha’s chile relleno. Pecan-crusted fried chicken. Pan-seared sea scallops. Delicious cocktails. Butterscotch pudding. Blackened salmon. Acme wedge salad. Chili-rubbed NY strip steak. Fried okra. Oyster po’ boy sliders. Acme tomato plate. Flash fried flounder. Play ball!!!

It’s pretty great to be right here, right now.

And, yes, Monday Funday is going strong. Every entrée, every Monday is only $15. The way we see it, Acme makes Monday look good. And taste even better.

Cheers,
The Staff at Acme