I’ve never grown a tomato. OK, let me rephrase: I’ve never successfully grown a tomato. Some bird or some blight or some other whimsical rendition of mother nature’s wrath has always intervened to cruelly thwart my German Johnson dreams. Sort of like an agricultural version of Vecna in Stranger Things that preys on my gardening fears. Except no floating into the air or any of that disturbing broken bones part. So far. But, to be honest, I do keep Kate Bush prominently featured in my Spotify playlist. Because it seems pretty clear that Eleven is at the beach with everyone else.
Thank god I know other talented people around here that grow some spectacularly delicious tomatoes. And each of them are probably toiling away in the fields and unrelenting sunshine as I write. I’m not sure how I’d survive the heat & humidity without them. Plainly, summer just wouldn’t make sense. So every July for the past 20 years Acme has celebrated those tomatoes – and those farmers – in just about every way that we can imagine. And next week we will do it again. Oh, boy.
The 21st Annual Acme Tomato Festival, July 13th – 17th. It’s always one of the highlights of our year. Hundreds of pounds and dozens of varieties of amazing local tomatoes that the kitchen team will sauce and toss, slice and dice, poke and smoke for five days straight. Tomato pie. Tomato gravy. Tomato cobbler. Tomato plates. Tomato sauce. Tomato broth. Tomato, well, everything. You get the picture. All your tomato dreams come true. And, yes, even Tomato Upside-Down Cake. Stranger Things have been eaten before.
This weekend @ Acme: Tuna tartare with fresh peaches & tomatoes. Shooting Point Oysters on the half shell. Acme tomato plate. Pecan-crusted fried chicken. Churro cheesecake. Wedge salad. Firsthand Foods Pork Chop. Southern Tomato Pie. Summer cocktails. Perfect cornbread. Blackened Salmon. Housemade lamb sausage. Fish & Chips. Peach cobbler with blackberry ice cream. Cast-iron skillet New York strip steak. Cold beer. Smoked tomato risotto. Forever roasted pig. Acme Brussels sprouts. Mac and Cheese. Acme deluxe smash burger. Now, are you really sure you want to cook this weekend?
Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.
Cheers,
The Staff at Acme
