Primo - Rockland, Maine

For years I have wanted to dine at Primo. With all of the wonderful restaurants in Portland, a colleague living in Camden was convinced I would be disappointed with Primo. But with the positive press and awards bestowed upon Chef Melissa Kelly, I thought it was worth a try. We finally took the plunge and made reservations.

Located at 2 South Main Street in Rockland, Primo is nearly a two hour drive from Portland. We decided to make it a weekend getaway and stayed overnight at The Berry Mountain Inn, a mile-and-a-half from the restaurant.

Melissa Kelly, Co-Owner and Executive Chef of Primo is the 1999 James Beard Foundation Award winner of the Best Chef, Northeast Award. Chef Kelly was also named one of the up and coming chefs of the 90's by Food & Wine magazine. She's worked in a variety of prestigious restaurants, including the famed Chez Panisse under the legendary Alice Waters. It was there that she honed her style, focusing on the use of simple, fresh ingredients.

Extensive gardens and greenhouses surround the property at Primo. It is here that the majority of the ingredients used in the food preparation are grown. The restaurant even raises its own pigs, and on-premise Italian honeybees produce the honey enjoyed by Primo's patrons. The menu changes daily; as written on Primo's website, "It is the morning communication that occurs between the chef and the head grower, coordinating the perfect harvest to fit that nights menu, and the perfect menu to fit that days harvest."

The restaurant itself is in a renovated old Victorian house with beautiful wide pine floors. In stark contrast to the building and floors, the furniture and decor is contemporary on the restaurant's two floors. There isn't much to buffer the sounds inside the restaurant; consequently it is very loud - not a spot for a romantic dinner or a quiet conversation.

We were seated upstairs on the night we dined. Our waitress was pleasant, knowledgeable and appropriately attentive. The menu featured eleven appetizers, four pasta dishes and eight "mains;" there were also several delicious sounding specials, making our decision on what to order immensely difficult. While we perused the menu, we sipped cocktails and munched on the basket of artisanal breads - focaccia, sesame seed and whole wheat - served with a high quality extra virgin olive oil. Made by Primo's co-owner, Price Kushner, the bread, particularly the sesame seed, was outstanding

I was tempted by the Wood fired pizza, topped with summer squash, arugula pesto and sungold tomatoes, but opted instead for "Frico," a Montasio (Italian cow's milk) cheese crepe filled with caramelized onion ($14). Overall the crepe was too greasy and rich for my taste, and I did not care for the combination of flavors and textures. The accompanying salad was fresh and interestingly prepared, with swiss chard, Matsutake (Asian) mushrooms and Asian greens topped with a wonderfully aged (50 years) sherry vinegar.

While Primo does not have a formal wine pairing, our waitress was well-versed in the wines. She paired a 2006 Clayhouse Adobe Red ($9) with my husband's appetizer, Seared Bluefin Tuna ($16). Accompanied by four varieties of heirloom tomatoes, romanesco cauliflower and tuna roe, the tuna was sushi-quality rare, yet wonderfully warm in the middle. The accompanying raisin caper sauce was at once sweet and pungent, and enhanced the tuna immensely. The star ingredient, however, was the tomatoes - green, red and yellow, freshly picked from the garden outside. Never have I tasted tomatoes with such intense flavor! I was still craving them several days after our visit.

I chose the the Wood grilled duck breast for my entree, served with a caramel peach tarte tatin, Hakurei turnips and swiss chard ($30). Had I not just recently had the most incredible duck at both Bresca and Evangeline, Primo's version might have been more impressive. As it was, the duck was rather tough, though the Tawny port/golden raisin jus was an interesting accompaniment. Fortunately, the caramel peach tarte tatin was phenomenal! Shortbread encased a warm, succulent, juicy peach. It satisfied my sweet tooth enough that I did not need dessert.

My husband's Crispy Wild Loup de mer ($29) was topped with a bland leek and butter sauce and served with Pommmes Anna (sliced potatoes slow simmered in butter). While the fish was fresh, this dish lacked the creativity my husband was seeking in his entree. The pairing of a buttery French chardonnay ($9.50) complemented the fish and buttery potatoes perfectly.

While Chef Kelly has created an impressive operation, I wouldn't rush to return. Fore Street in Portland and Arrow's in Ogunquit have the same idea. Both use the freshest possible ingredients to create more imaginative recipes than you'll find at Primo. When seeking a fine dining establishment in the mid-Coast, I will return to Natalie's, where the food preparation is more refined, creative, and showcases greater culinary skill.