Greetings from Carrboro,
If you haven’t heard, the US Olympic basketball team is living on a cruise ship anchored off the coast of Brazil. It has a spa and several restaurants. Even a cigar lounge. That image seems a far cry from that of the jubilant kids that won gold in the Montreal Olympics of my youth. That summer, I’d shoot in my driveway – one shot as Phil Ford, the next as Walter Davis – and inevitably make the winning shot over the outstretched arms of my Soviet foe as time expired. Take that, Commie! The crowd’s roar was deafening. My friends and I were incredibly humble when we accepted our medals, always thanking the little people.
I don’t know if the Olympics have that same allure today. Whether there is a Sugar Ray Leonard or a Bruce Jenner or a Nadia Comăneci that beg to be idolized in Rio. But it still amazes me. The sheer commitment boggles my mind.
That being said, in the Olympics of food, certainly, I think that I deserve a bronze medal for fried chicken eating. At least. I have all the qualifications. Commitment? Check. Talent? Check. Passion? Check, check! The problem is that it just doesn’t make great TV. Unless I got a red, white, and blue onesie. With a bib. But that would scar my kids.
And the Acme kitchen staff certainly gets a gold in my book. Surviving a summer leashed to a stove is no small accomplishment. Without boat loads of commitment and passion, you can’t even get through June. And it’s August!
So, that’s a couple of reasons why we’ll have the Olympics on the TV for the next two weeks. The dreams and the drama. And our sincere understanding that loving what you do is greater than any medal.
Cast-iron skillet crab cakes. Fried brussel sprouts with hot pepper jelly. Beef tenderloin. Housemade spaghetti with grilled heirloom tomatoes. Fried okra & shishito peppers. Southern chili rellenos. Housemade sausage raviolo with mushroom butter sauce. Carolina shrimp with creamed corn, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto. And, of course, the Acme tomato plate. Let the games begin!
Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.
Cheers,
The Staff at Acme
Reservations online or 919 929 2263