Acme
“We finished off the night with the Beer & Bread Porridge that my boyfriend and I quickly inhaled.”
“As Pete Wells points out, the inspiration is nordic but Mads Refslund adapts it to local flora aiming to "tell the story of where you are right now."”
“My mother and father both enjoyed their arctic char and ribeye respectively, and we were all stuffed.”
Acme
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Came here for a work holiday party, so didn't really get to try any of the food, but they do have a large space downstairs for private parties with a bar which was really nice. There was a DJ and coat check, so a good sized space. However, it is a big narrow, it's a narrow long space, so people tend to be all around the bar, and the further ends of the room were pretty empty.
Upstairs area was well lit and looked very romantic. Seems like a nice restaurant I would want to come back to and check out.
Went here with a few friends in the winter because I had never been before. The sign in the front is cool. I instagramed it. I forgot what I even ordered because it wasn't memorable. I think I got a salad and it was one where the leaves were huge and hard to cut up. My friends got these weird fish tacos that came on a plate that was made of pine leaves(?) I guess it's a cool presentation? I didn't really get it and wasn't too thrilled with the service either. Pretty "meh" experience. Pricey.
When you roll up to this place, the first thing that you'll notice is that the sign says "ACME, Authentic Southern and Cajun Cooking". HUH? Maybe it's a part of their idea to keep the place a secret?
We stroll in, told them that we had a reservation and were seated immediately. We take a look at the menu, and got exactly what we expected…. not a single southern/cajun dish on the menu.. nice. The portions here are small but are intended to be shared. We really wanted to try the rib eye, but it's sold by the ounce and the smallest offering that they had was a 36 ouncer… doh! We instead went with the braised pork, crispy salmon skin and the grilled oysters. We also had four of their cocktails off the menu. Their bourbon/whiskey based drinks were decent.
The food in my opinion was "OK" but I give them kudos for originality. My wife liked the change of pace as well. We wanted dessert but we were feeling a bit full. The braised pork came with six very thin corn crepes that must've expanded in our bellies quickly.
We ventured down to the lounge downstairs which we've heard so much about. One of the groups next to us hyped it up a bit about how it's the go to spot for everyone in the fashion industry and that the doorman was a tough one to get through. Up for the challenge, we go to the doorman, and he allowed us right in… He was actually a very nice guy. Not too sure why everyone said he was a "meanie"? Then I understood when I got to the bottom of the steps…..
The crowd here is very "interesting" to say at the least. The bartender down there did an amazing job with out cocktails…. probably one of the better whiskey sours I've had in a lounge of this sort. The music was amazing. The sound system was amazing. Not much of a dancefloor but big enough for you to bust out a few moves and not knock someone out. I personally felt a bit out of place. There were several men wearing women's costumes. I saw a guy wearing spandex pants with short running shorts on top of them. Lots of people here in the fashion industry. If that is your type of scene, you'll love it. I felt a the the odd man out wearing a button down shirt and dressy jeans.
Acme should have been good, but it seemed like it could have been a lot better. It seems like it can't decide what it is–is it a small-plates place, is it a hearty dinner house? Our table of six honestly had a hard time trying to figure how to order, and when it was all said and done we were all pretty unsatisfied. There were some flavors that popped and were kind of interesting, but for the most part I just have to go with disappointing.
Dined here tonight for restaurant week. For the appetizer I had the duck in a jar with pickled vegetables and the yummiest mustard seeds (it also came with bread but I didn't try it).
My entrée was the johnny cakes, which came with braised pork, 6 thin johnny cakes, chutney, greens, and mustard. For dessert I had the sourdough rye bread soaked in beer porridge and salted caramel ice cream. Everything was absolutely delicious and a lot more filling than I thought it would be!
Our server was nice enough but he never once asked how our meal was or if everything was ok. The buser was on point though – he made sure me and my boyfriend's glass of water was always refilled. The only thing is we weren't given a bread basket and the table next to us were (they sat down about 10 minutes after us and also ordered the restaurant week menu).
My bf and I both ordered the exact same meals so I didn't get to try anything else but I saw people around us getting the arctic char (which looked delicious), fish tacos (so so tiny), and chicken and eggs in the cutest pots. I was really hoping to get the pine and oak ice cream with macarons but they only had brown butter ice cream. *boo*
Other good things about this restaurant
The ambiance is great – trendy, cozy, popping with customers
Upbeat music that makes you feel happy as good food fills your belly
Parking is free after 6pm
Attractive staff
Cons:
Tables are really close together
Expensive outside of restaurant week menu
RESTAURANT WEEK SUMMER '15 REVIEW (Sunday Brunch)
I like to start positively, so I will point out the star of the RW menu (it's actually not even on the originally menu online…).
1. French toast w/ Rhubarb + Orange butter.
The bread was surprisingly so light and airy but had substantial toasty edges to hold everything together. It was just enough sweetness to call it a dessert and didn't go overboard with sugar or sogginess. The rhubarb was kept a bit crunchy for texture, which was welcomed, and the butter was flavorful and deliciously dripped down the sides. Yum
* I think this was on our RW menu because we went during Sunday Brunch time.
Ambiance/decor/etc.
A bit on the darker side in terms of lighting to set the mood I guess? Except it was brunch time, so it was a tiny bit off putting. I kind of got more of a bar/lounge feel instead of a high end restaurant feel. Really clean and pretty spacious.
I obviously do restaurant week right, and went with two other friends so we can try the whole menu. Highly suggest you do your research and do the same 🙂
First Course:
– radishes: Radishes looked beautiful and were kept raw. The smoked goat cheese was a nice pairing.
– Smoked fish tacos: Like bagel and lox but in taco form, and elevated. The picked vegetables added a nice acidity to the smokiness of the fish.
– duck in a jar: couldn't really taste the foie gras. The mustard pairing overwhelmed the jar, and while I do love myself a good mustard, couldn't taste the rest of the flavors.
Second Course:
– green eggs: Pretty green presentation, makes for great photos! Flavors were pretty mild, and could have used an extra pow.
– Lamb sandwich: The lamb was tender and delicious on its own.
– grilled romaine: I love grilled romaine.
Third Course:
Already stated above. The salted caramel icecream was thick and creamy, which is my favorite texture when it comes to icecream. However, it immediately started melting and because an icecream soup, which then I passed onto my roommate because melty things freak me out. Flavor wise… could have been a tiny bit more salty to emphasize the "salted" caramel part.
Overall,
It was good but for restaurant week, I've definitely experienced better.
My first visit to Acme had been about two years ago, and I had fallen in love with its speakeasy décor, flavorful food, and creative cocktails. For various reasons, most times due to a lack of reservations, I had not make it back until last night for Restaurant Week. Since RW dinners tend to be inaccurate portrayals of a place's talent, I was worried about bringing Acme newbies for such an occasion. We had all evaluated the special menu ahead of time, though, and had given our approval. I was still concerned about the execution, and some of my fears proved true.
I would say that the restaurant was completely packed and that our service was totally fine, but the food was a bit hit-or-miss. For the first course, my brother and I decided to each order a different item and share them. While he did not enjoy the Smoked Fish Tacos, I was delighted by its fresh salmon, which had been pine-smoked and topped with pickled carrots. However, the rye flour taco shell was too fried and overpowering in flavor. Unlike me, he preferred the Country Toast, which consisted of 4 slices of the same thick sourdough that was in our complimentary bread basket. The doughy pieces were covered with melted brie and roasted butternut squash. I found the creamy cheese an odd compliment to the squash. When it came to the entrée course, most of the group opted for the Artic Char, which was very lightly grilled and maintained a succulent center. The bright orange fish was fresh and flavorful. It was served with what the kitchen referred to as "Grilled Salad", but was essentially awkward stalks of grilled escarole. I mean, the greens tasted great, but were a very unexciting side. However, the Buttermilk Horseradish dressing on the dish was phenomenal. Even though I do not like creamy vinaigrettes, this one was extremely light, and there was just the perfect dosage on the plate. My friends that had ordered the Braised Pork Johnny Cakes raved about them, though I did not take a bite. For dessert, the majority of the table went for the unique Beer & Bread Porridge. The deep dessert bowl started with a slice of dark rye bread that had been soaked in a creamy Guinness porridge. It was topped with white and dark chocolate shavings, and there was a large scoop of Salted Caramel Ice Cream smack in the middle of the custard, like a yolk showcased in the heart of an egg white. We all immediately agreed that the ice cream was the highlight of the dish, while the beer-infused bread grew on us with each bite. The caraway was an odd flavor for a dessert, and this treat was not nearly as sweet as I usually prefer. I also took a swipe of my friend's panna cotta, which was unusually thin and spread out on a large round plate, almost like a crepe or carpaccio. It was covered with crunchy coffee biscotti pieces and a drizzle of maple syrup. Even that had an interesting flavor and was less sugary than one would expect.
In addition to our uneven food reviews, I was not thrilled with my Old Cuban cocktail. This custom beverage started with Brugal Anejo Rum and included some Prosecco bubbles as well. The incorporated lime juice made the drink very acidic and bitter. The menu had mentioned "mint", but the single leaf floating on the top of the beverage did nothing to enhance the flavor; it was barely detectable.
The funny thing was that we had run into a table of folks that we had known, and they were all very enthusiastic about their experience, raving about how they should have tried the place sooner. Again, the restaurant was packed, and my previous meal had been delightful, so I think it could have just been the Restaurant Week plague that had marred our trip. I would definitely be interested in giving Acme another chance so that I could come to a definitive decision either way.
Went here for Restaurant Week on Tuesday with of my 2 friends, and really enjoyed all of the food.
To start, we split the duck skewers (a special), and it was awesome. Then we had the RW menu. I enjoyed the smoked fish tacos (which arrived in a silly fake christmas tree branch), and the salmon. The salmon portion was a bit small, but cooked perfectly. However, I think the better entree choice was the chicken and eggs, which my friend ordered. It was served in a pot, with potatoes and was hearty and awesome. The bread and butter at the beginning of the meal and the duck in a jar appetizer were also noteworthy. The desserts were pretty good, but nothing outstanding. Martini wasn't great, so we switched to wine after our first round of cocktails.
I really liked it here, and would come back!