Primo is Primo

Yesterday Jeremy, Max and I had the pleasure of accompanying two good friends from NY, Tammy and Rocco, to Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine. Here is the story of the restaurant as written on their site,

"After 12 years, numerous awards, recognitions and two other locations, Primo - Rockland Maine has matured into what Chef Melissa Kelly calls a "Full Circle Kitchen," the ultimate farm to table experience.

What started with a garden, a few hens and a couple of pigs has now become an evolution of food; an endless pursuit to accomplish more. Primo is much more than a restaurant, it is about love and respect for food. It is also about creativity. Produce is grown & harvested here and the animals are raised on the property. Nothing is wasted – everything has its place. It is a continuous cycle that occurs throughout the restaurant with, the kitchen, the animals and the gardens. The kitchen uses and savors every little piece. Seasonal to the moment, it is actually the farm and the garden that make the incredible ever-changing menu.

With two greenhouses and acres of produce, each day harvests: honey, fruits, veggies, eggs, edible flowers, micro-greens, fresh chicken and house cured & smoked meats. What is not grown at the restaurant comes from other local and sustainable farms that Chef Melissa Kelly and Price Kushner are proud to support."

Before moving to Maine, and after watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, showcasing the restaurant, Jeremy and I were determined to make it happen. Rockland is 2 hours northwest of Portland and since we have a toddler who needs to nap, Jeremy took off first to explore the small town with Tammy and Rocco. I stayed behind and joined them later. Because we arrived separately, we both had to make the 2 hour drive there and back. Some may wonder if 2 hours to go to a restaurant is worth it. Heck, I spent more time getting to Rockland and home, than I did enjoying Rockland! But, it was worth it. Trust me.

They started off our dining experience with a basket of fresh bread, semolina, focaccia with onions, a plain white crusty one and some olive oil for dipping. Then, they served us each a small ball of pork belly covered in crumbs and atop a creamy white sauce, garnished with a little leaf of fresh greens. To our advantage, Tammy and Rocco don't eat pork so we both enjoyed two of the most scrumptious bits of pork belly. So good that I used my finger to lap up any leftover sauce on the plate.

Next came our first appetizer, a wood fired pizza with goat cheese and merguez sausage. It was delicious, and spicy. We also ordered Foie Gras Two Ways seared on a blueberry hoecake and chilled torchon on toasted brioche with bergamot jam. This was an interesting dish. I was looking forward to the foie gras and I was expecting a savory dish. This was quite the opposite. This dish literally tasted like breakfast. The foie gras was served on these little pieces of hoecake a toasted brioche, and topped with berries. I thought I was eating blueberry pancakes. It was amazing and odd at the same time. Although delicious I wished I had been better able to taste the foie gras. Next time we go I am looking forward to a savory dish.

(We plan to go again in late winter because that is when Anthony Bourdain went. We actually had the same waitress yesterday as he did. In the show he has a pig ear salad and pea soup with smoked ham hack. It is a dish they serve right before we close for the winter, so we will need to go back and try that one.)

Next was the main courses. (I forgot to take a menu last night, so I am relying on their site, but it doesn't have the same menu. I will do my best to provide accurate descriptions of the dishes)

Jeremy ordered the pork belly appetizer as his main dish. Here is his review, "The belly was the best pork experience I've ever had. It was thick, juicy, soft and tender. It was served with a giant slice of tomato, that on it's own, ate like a steak. The only way I can describe how good this tasted would be like skiing your whole life on one of the fabulous mountains in New Jersey and you love it. (This is bacon as you know it) Then one day, someone says, "Hey, get on my private plane" and they take you to Park City Utah or Colorado and you spend the whole day on fresh powder. On a real mountain. (This is the pork belly)."

I ordered a dish that is not on their online menu and I will attempt to describe to you. It was a pasta dish with long hollow spaghetti like noodles, braised beef ribs and topped with a broccoli rabe pesto. I must admit that the noodles did look like woms are first, but once I started eating it, it didn't matter. The beef was so fantastic, savory and just perfect. The mild flavor of the pasta and the bold flavor of the beef were delicately accented by the subtle flavor of the pesto.

After all that food we declined dessert. However, with our bill they brought us chocolate ginger truffles and homemade marshmallows. The truffles were to die for, while the marshmallows were not. Making marshmallows that taste good isn't easy and I have yet to have a homemade one that I didn't want to spit out. This one was no exception.

All in all the food was fantastic. The service delightful. And the atmosphere, unforgettable.

As we walked to our cars, ready to embark on a 2 hour drive home, I held Max in my arms. It was an hour past his bedtime and as he laid his head on my shoulder I watched the hens take up there spot in the hen house for the night. The greenhouse and garden lay to my right. Everything they need in one spot. This is the way food should be.