There is perhaps no food we serve that has a more loyal following than our beloved Acme Levain. It is delivered to us half baked and we finish it here just before service, so it’s warm and crusty.

Steve Sullivan and Rick Kirkby at Acme have been participants in the Oliveto Grain Project from the beginning (4 years ago). So when we started to get serious about whole grains last year we asked Steve if he could develop a 100% whole grain bread that we could serve. As Steve and Rick tinkered with the recipe over the last few months we’ve only been receiving five loaves of whole grain bread five days a week. Some of you early diners may have been lucky enough to find a few slices in your basket at dinner. Acme’s whole grain levain is absolutely delicious.

So it’s time for the unveiling of this new offering to Bay Area bread lovers. Starting this Monday, August 8th, Acme is going into official production mode, meaning we will have whole grain bread in our bread basket during dinner service every night! Initially, it will also be served at Chez Panisse and in Acme’s retail stores, with the intention that it will become more widely available over time.

Our Pastry Chef, Jenny Raven, is also now serving some whole grain morning buns in the cafe: one fruit, one savory.