I am choosing not to mention any specific items so as not to ruin the surprise. Just a terrific team of people led by Price Kushner that never miss a beat when it comes to bringing you large or small dishes of brilliantly conceived and beautifully plated food that leaves you shaking your head in wonder that somebody thought of this and then actually brought it to life and thankfully to my table. I am extremely informal and I like to dine upstairs at Primo, where there is more energy, no white cloth on your table. BUT Melissa Kelly and her staff of kitchen magicians make it happen every time I'm there. Yes, I could cook serious food that was seriously delicious by age 9, and it takes a helluva meal to make my palate applaud. And even now at age 71, I can tell you exactly where I dined and what I ate on those nights I regard as the 10 best meals of my life. We will be back next year.and the year after, etc.īetween 19 I wrote a NYC Restaurant Guide just for my friends, family and my Hollywood clients. Thank heavens we also hiked and sea kayaked the rest of the time, to earn this guilty pleasure! We did have a bit of a wait for one of our reservations, but we brought our vacation karma along and had a wonderful evening once we were seated. My brother went one step further, and enjoyed the profiteroles AND the homemade doughnuts after a wonderful dinner. I had fish and lobster first time, then duck on my second visit, along with oysters two ways, and am embarrassed to admit had a dessert of pistachio popover with a wonderful custard filling. Do bring your wallet, but also take time to savor the blend of flavors in every course. This year we ate at Primo twice in our two weeks. It is the genuine love of food, lovingly prepared, and great service that comes through in a more simple, rural Maine way. If you are accustomed to highbrow dining in Manhattan, you won't get that here. We have been going to Maine for 2 weeks every year since 2002. Disappointed beyond belief and robbed of a beautiful memory. We paid the bill, in full, and tipped our sever accordingly as she was the only soft touch of the evening. The evening to honor my father's memory by sharing in his love of good food was tarnished by an offensive, disgusting display of hubris on Mr. Suffice it to say that due to my already tender feelings over my father's death, he brought me to tears and then asked me to leave the restaurant as I was upsetting the dining service. It became obvious that their " full circle ultimate farm-to-table dining expedience" did not include their diner's needs or feelings. He was arrogant, rude, hostile and the epitome of a narcissist. While discussing the delay of service and the feeling of being ignored at our table, the owner, Price Kushner, offered little in the way of understanding our feelings. While the food comes from two different kitchens, the timing is not always perfect, but can certainly be overlooked by the wonderful attention to service. The restaurant filled quickly and the offerings were beautiful. This was not the case when I dined on July 20, 2014. Once my father passed away, I have been visiting his favorite eateries in his honor and to absorb myself in the memories he had made through his wonderful dining experiences. Primo was once the highlight of my visits to spend time with my parents in Rockland, Maine. The bungalow is open as our wine and beer lounge during the week, and our $2 oyster bar (no reservation needed) on Sundays from 1:00-4:30. In addition to Primo, Chef Kelly has welcomed a new addition to the Primo Property, 0km. Her earliest cooking lessons happened in her Italian grandmother’s kitchen. She also received this award in 1999, making her the first 2-time winner of the same award. She is the 2013 James Beard Foundation Award winner of the American Express Best Chef: Northeast Award. Melissa Kelly is the Executive Chef & proprietor of Primo. We have an endless pursuit to accomplish a more sustainable ecosystem filled with love, creativity and respect for the food. Description: What started out as one chef and two cooks in the kitchen, one greenhouse and one acre of vegetables, has become a full staff of 60 with 2 greenhouses, over 200 laying chickens, 150 broiler chickens, 5 ducks, 15 pigs and 3 acres of vegetables continuously rotating throughout the season.
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