Somewhere in between 4:30 and 10:30 AM it began snowing. I was shocked when I looked out the windows to Third Ave and saw a fine layer of white dust covering the hoods of the parked cars and the restaurant awnings. We’ve had a crazy mild fall and winter so far in the city, and snow feels alien, unwanted.

Last night, TnT and I went to Acme, 9 Great Jones St. (between Broadway & Lafayette), for dinner. The gals had been there before, but since I tend to stay away from anything below 14th street for the sake of my sanity, this was my first trip. Yes, I loathe going the Village, the West Village, the East Village, the Gaza Strip, etc. I’m sorry, I just cannot deal with the cat’s cradle of streets, how turned around I get when I come off the train, and how everything is impossible to find. I’m just not cool enough and not into “scene” enough to put that much effort into where I go. Case in point, I took the 6 down to Acme, following their directions to take it to Bleecker and “walk two blocks north.” Walking two blocks north on Bleecker did NOTHING. Did they say “turn on Broadway”? Nope! So, I wandered aimlessly for 10 minutes, asking no less than six people how to get to this place.

I finally made it to Acme, and went back to the bar to meet Tiff, and ordered a Lynchburg Lemonade off of their cocktail menu. NOT the best start to the evening, since the lemonade was so subpar, the Jack Daniels may as well have been cut with water. At $7.50 a pop and on their menu as a standard drink, you’d think they’d make sure their “homemade lemonade” doesn’t taste like lemon Kool-Aid! I ended up meekly asking for a new drink, feeling horrible for it but unwilling to drink something crappy, and it was something very fruity with rum.

After about 20 minutes at the bar waiting for Ty to show up and to land a table, we were seated. Acme is pretty much just tables, all utilitarian and wood. It’s not as kitschy a place as Trailer Park but not quite as spare as Daisy May’s. But, like both of those places, it all comes down to food. Trailer Park has the allure of high school cafeteria nostalgia food in its grilled cheese and tater tots; Daisy May’s has the best barbecue in the city. Acme fulfills that same desire for big portions and comfort food. Buyer beware: come here if you like to eat, not if you’re trying to maintain your waistline.

I had their Cajun fried chicken, which basically meant it was smothered in white gravy and dusted with pecans, and the portion was so large I couldn’t finish it. I settled for eating all the pecans, practically licking the gravy off the plate, and eating the “crunchy parts.” My sides were their garlic mashed potatoes (with the awesome gravy) and collard greens, both of which were quite tasty. Though, honestly, my favorite greens are made at The Smokin’ Ox in Oxford, Ohio. I have no idea what kind of crack owner Sean Pennington puts in his greens, but they’re damn good. Anyway, back to Acme. Favorite part of the meal? The complimentary cornbread. It was fluffy and airy instead of dense like so many places make it, and so flavorful that I didn’t even need butter.

Man, I love food. I love eating in this city. Even when it snows.