July 24th, 2026

 

Greetings from Carrboro,

My dad knew a guy. And in high school, one phone call to him could make me a demi-god of sorts. I know, I know; it sounds like a bad line from some mafioso movie. And, cross my heart, my father was no cigar smoking figure in an organized crime family. But if you live long enough in the same place, doors can often open with a little, well-placed pull. 

The guy my dad knew was the person who ran operations at the Charlotte Coliseum. On those occasions when my pleas did not fall upon paternal deaf ears, my father would make that crucial phone call. And then I, with a group of friends, could knock on a side door at the arena and quickly be ushered into the arena and into a sold-out concert without tickets. It was magic. We’d wander through a hoard of roadies and finally to a little gate where security guards would let us onto the floor at the very front of the stage. Hello, Van Halen, nice to meet you.

I don’t share my father’s aptitude for such things. At least not in ways that ever impressed my kids or their friends. But I do know a guy. Dammit. And, well, his name is Salvador. In life, there are very few things that are really the best. Like, no question; not a one. This is not red light therapy or some crypto scheme bathed in histrionics. I’m talking about bluefin tuna, the world’s most craved seafood. Earlier this year, a 535lb bluefin sold for $3.2 million in Tokyo. So, when Salvador called and said that he was looking at a bluefin being pulled off a boat at the coast and would I want some, how could I not jump at the chance? 

Lucky, lucky you. All weekend (or until we run out) we’ll be serving that glorious bluefin. It’ll be simple and it will be raw and it will be delicious. And we’re not going to play with our food here. We’re going to follow a pretty straightforward asian approach with ginger, avocado, yuzu, and crispy rice. Because why not? The southern repertoire of raw seafood generally begins and ends with “bait.” So, we decided to take a better route.

This weekend @ Acme: Bluefin tuna. Pan-seared red drum. Appalachian Spritz. 16oz ribeyes with grilled Jimmy Nardello peppers. Acme tomato plate. Pan-seared duck breast. Blackened salmon. Watermelon margaritas. Pecan-crusted fried chicken. Acme wedge salad. Gumbo. Martha’s chile relleno. Shrimp & tasso tagliatelle. Peach & blueberry cobbler. Cast-iron seared sea scallops. Shooting Point oysters on the half-shell. Acme smashburgers. Hushpuppies. Perfect fried okra. Southern tomato pie. Red beans & rice. Ice cold martinis. Acme cornbread. BLT bento box. 

And it’s kinda perfect on the patio tonight.

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

Cheers,

The Staff at Acme