When ACME restaurant shuttered its doors for a full renovation by orders of its new owners, past patrons of the former grubby Cajun eatery went into a tailspin. What would happen to their beloved menu of chicken wings and fried everything, complemented by a wall of assorted hot sauces?
When the New Nordic eatery, which consists of a main restaurant on the top level and a lounge and sitting area downstairs, re-opened its doors for a VIP friends and family tasting last December, only glimpses of the former venue could be found. Co-owner Jean-Marc Houmard says while they did a “gut renovation” on the place after taking over the lease in April of 2011, “the walls had history and we tried to keep that feeling of a lived-in restaurant with all the imperfections that give a good space its personality.”
And ACME is not a restaurant short on personality, especially in its decor. With an imaginative atmosphere that’s high on variety and low on precision, the art darlings of New York City and beyond have been flocking to the venue for dinner and late nights since before the restaurant’s official opening.
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