Brunch Files: Acme F&B

by Steven Doyle        photos by Rod Orta

Yesterday our new contributor Melissa Robert extolled the virtues of her most recent visit to Acme F&B. It was fairly obvious that she enjoyed the work of Chef Norman Grimm who has a spectacular background. Grimm graduated from the New England Culinary Institute, the same school and class as Food Network’s Alton Brown and Dallas chef Abraham Salum.

Grimm, who began his career at Rubicon and Jardiniere, working for Traci Des Jardins in the mid-to-late 90’s, eventually made his way to Dallas in 2002.  After opening The Mercury, he went on to work with Sharon Hage, at York Street.   

Grimm then left Texas to open a sustainable seafood concept in Portland, before being recruited by Chef Richard Reddington to be his sous chef and kitchen manager at Redd Restaurant in Yountville, California.  Tra Vigne in Saint Helena, California was his next stop before moving back to Dallas to help run the kitchen at Nosh Euro Bistro and most recently Texas Spice at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

Grimm can definitely cook and Dallas is all the better for this. Today we explore what Chef Grimm has in store for guests who visit Acme F&B’s recently added brunch. For those that visit Acme for brunch you will be excited to learn that this is one of the best kept secrets on any given Sunday afternoon – for now.

The brunch menu at Acme is rich and hearty, and not at all like what you might find on most brunch menus. It may sound the same, but the execution is like none other. This is evident in one of our first plates we ordered, Grimm’s Grandma Pan Cakes. This literally came from the chef’s grandmother’s cookbook and resembles corn bread at first sight. It is baked in a small cast iron skillet and retains that shape. The cake is laced with local honey and very light. The accompanying whipped cream and real maple syrup hardly needs to be used, the cake is that delicious on its own.

All dishes need to be juked up with a side of Grimm’s own bacon. The dish contained plenty of slices for the table to share, and the smoky goodness held a perfect crispness that made you want even more. So much for sharing.

For those who might be suffering from an evening of high revelry, there are heartier dishes available such as the Waygu Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs which is a giant slab of ever-so-tender top sirloin pounded to a meaty perfection and served with a side of biscuits and gravy. This serving is definitely enough for two.

The Croque Madame offers a certain refinement and is also topped with several farm eggs procured by the chef. A side of arugula salad lends a bit of spiciness to your brunch.

No brunch menu can escape our love affair with the Benedict, and Grimm offers a delicious version called Something Like A Benedict. The chef nestles rich braised short rib meat into a vol-au-vent pastry shell and tops it with a perfectly poached farm egg and sauces with the requisite Hollandaise for a very light and delicious version of what can often be a tired brunch staple.

To finish any brunch I might suggest ordering the house-made donut holes served with a Nocello Sabayon or the Brioche Bread Pudding for the table to share as a sweet ending and to properly place you into a food coma for the day.

There are also plenty of healthier option should you wish to follow that route. Dishes like the Steel Cut Oats laced with Armagnac prunes, or the Nana Joe’s Granola served with plain yogurt should keep those whiney ones watching their girlish figures.

Don’t forget the booze portion of brunch. There is a custom cocktail menu that will please your liver and includes bloody Mary’s and mimosas (order by the carafe and save). There are also several interesting libations such as the Pecan Milk Punch made with Bourbon Pecan Milk, or the Red River Punch made with more bourbon, an amber ale and star anise citrus.

With an all-star dinner menu and a pretty unique brunch, Chef Grimm has found a fantastic home in Acme F&B and a place in our bellies.