Restaurant Review: Primo
Coming Soon: Michelin Guide, Maine
I sat on this review for a couple of days to collect my
thoughts after eating one of the best meals of my life. I keep flipping through
the incognito pictures I snapped throughout the dinner, except the one where my
flash went off as I panicked and pocketed my phone while glancing around the
dining room to see how many diners I pissed off with my embarrassing mistake—I don’t
think anyone cared. I’m not faced with the same dilemma I was faced with after
eating my birthday dinner at Le Bernadin: how do I write a review of something
that is as close to perfect as I have experienced thus far in my life? I
scrapped my review of Le Bernadin because I didn’t think I could do it justice…
I kept getting stuck on the first paragraph where I tried to justify why some
restaurants should get a fourth Michelin star. I think I have more to say about
Primo. Primo isn’t quite the dining juggernaut that Le Bernadin is; it’s unassuming,
casual, hidden, and every bit as good as Le Bernadin, but for completely
different reasons. More so, I feel like everything has been said about Le
Bernadin; We all know they’re leaders in the world of sustainability, boast a
menu of the best fish dishes you’ll experience in your life, and we all know
the accolades of Eric Ripert, and even his fish prep chef à la an episode of No
Reservations. Everyone knows Le Bernadin is amazing, and I insist you eat there
if you appreciate food and haven’t yet, but not everyone knows about Primo. I may still
be able to introduce a few to some amazing things happening in a cozy converted
Victorian getaway.
For those of you who saw my recent Instagram, I was in Maine
with my girlfriend this past weekend celebrating our one year anniversary.
Primo is located in Rockland, Maine, about an hour and a half drive along the
coast from Portland. It’s a hike; my first trip to Maine was totally formulated
around a meal at Primo. Saying it’s worth it is a complete understatement. Primo
deserves all the accolades they’ve received and more. Melissa Kelly is a
genius, admirable for her approach to farm-to-table cooking, and I don’t
hesitate to say that Primo is the best restaurant in Maine—possibly the best
restaurant in the Northeastern United States excluding New York City. I don’t
think I’m just taking a leap for the purpose of this review, I really mean it. Let
me get into things and see if I can do that statement justice:
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