Margot C. Lester
Staff Writer
Kevin Callaghan wants you to know that despite all the doom-and-gloom economic news, “You can still go out to dinner.†That’s why his restaurant, Acme Food & Beverage Co. (110 E. Main St., Carrboro), is offering $12.95 Tuesdays. The deal allows diners to buy any entrée on the menu for $12.95. That includes your steaks, your fish, your pork – all your favorite comfort food at a comforting price.
“I saw in the New Yorker recently that 60 percent off is the new black,†Callaghan quips.
That fact was hammered home during Acme’s Gas Price Tuesdays, a popular promotion started last summer when the cost of a gallon of gas was almost as high as an adult beverage. To ease the pain, Acme priced glasses of wine and pints of beer at the going rate for petrol in Carrboro. People came out in droves. But with gas prices back to normal, Acme needed a new deal.
Callaghan says that they’re offering the flavors we crave in tough times and the food he grew up with as a child of the South.
“The basic elements of American food grew out of poverty,†he says. “People suffered and figured out how to make food taste delicious without spending a whole lot of money. When the economy is at a certain point, people’s taste buds tend to retract towards more traditional dishes.†That’s why you’ll find chicken and dumplings or fried catfish on the menu alongside a grilled beef loin with black raspberry gastrique.
But recession dining isn’t just about the price of grub. We all feel a need for fellowship as much as food when we’re freaking out about finances.
“People here are concerned and they crave camaraderie,†Callaghan notes. “Food connects us to one another. We’re providing a way for folks to still go out and enjoy some company.â€