Greetings from Carrboro,

I just got a whiff yesterday. A little hint of what’s to come. The wind changed and brittle leaves rattled down the street. The sky was a deep, Carolina blue. You know, that all-too-familiar mantle of fall. And so, for me, a season began – not the one marked by dates on my iPhone calendar but that other calendar in my bones.

And with that, my palate shifts. Admittedly, apples taste fine in May. Fine. But they resonate in October. In the kitchen, the same hot ovens that make late July oh-so-unbearably cruel, now offer familiar comfort. Raw oysters call for hot sauce and cornbread. Bourbon requires less ice, if any. And I want to put mushrooms, bitter greens, and pecans in everything I cook – then smoke it slowly overnight.

I’m sure that’s why I do Salt & Smoke this time of year. It just feels right. When we’re planning in July, the concept seems remote and foreign – as if November and woodsmoke and long-sleeve shirts will never come. But with that whiff yesterday, it all makes sense again. The music. The oysters. The sweet potatoes. Drinking beer and smoking a whole hog overnight. The bonfire and s’mores and hay bales.

And then we got this – an amazing five-page spread in Our State Magazine about last year’s festival. Talk about perfect timing. And what an honor. I am so grateful that this party which means so much to me could, in turn, mean as much to so many other people. It truly is remarkable. And I think that the article nails what Salt & Smoke is all about.

I have a strange (and strong) feeling that the article is going to create a serious rush on tickets to our shindig (just two, short weeks away on 11/3!). We’ve always sold out the festival in the past, and getting close this year. The article will just seriously speed up that process. But I want to thank you first. Give you a shot before the magazine lands in mailboxes all over the country. Because Salt & Smoke wouldn’t exist without all of you – this wonderful Acme community that inspires us every day to cook and clean and hustle and, then, to start over again. To that end, everyone who buys a “Whole Shebang” ticket and uses the promotional code “LOCAL” when selecting your tickets over the next week will get $20 off your ticket PLUS the chance to win me. Well, sort of. The good parts. What you actually win is my coming to your house and cooking dinner for up to 8 friends on a night of your choice. And I promise to be good.

Oh yeah– did I mention we have soft shell crabs this weekend at Acme? And oysters are 1/2 price tonight? The good news keeps comin’.

Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The Staff at Salt & Smoke look forward to serving you soon.

Cheers,

Acme / Salt & Smoke

Get tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/acme-presents-salt-smoke-vi-tickets-49947471231