Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published February 23, 2006 Click here for the current edition Acme Oyster House Returns To French Quarter The city's oldest oyster bar came back to life on Wednesday, February 21, in its original location on Iberville Street. The Acme had an assortment of damage that the owners say was not due to looting, as had been rumored--although the amount of looting that went on in that neighborhood after the storm was so great that this seems a miracle. I ran into Glenn Armantrout Thursday and he gave me a look around the new digs, which he says cost over two million dollars to bring back up to speed. "We had a lot of things we've needed to do to the building for a long time, and we took the opportunity," he said. Among them: a new floor (still concrete, but smooth), a new oyster bar (same bar, really, but new tiles front and back, and a new marble top), a new and expanded kitchen with more room for char-grilling oysters (here, as at most oyster bars, that dish has taken over), and new bathrooms. They weren't quite finished. The rear dining rooms are still not quite there, and they're also doing something with the upstairs. They need all the space they can get. In recent years the Acme has become one of the great magnets for tourists, with long lines extending down the street at most hours. Meanwhile, Felix's--the Acme's long-time rival across the street--is still not open. (Felix's does, however, have its new Uptown location on Prytania and Robert going). The Acme Oyster House is at 724 Iberville. 522-5973. © 2006 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com