Out of the way place worth the trip. Setup is like a house so tables are set up in various rooms, so our area was a small room that held about five tables. Nice ambiance. Excellent food. We split two pastas - the old school rigatoni and the paperdelle with pulled pork Rago. Both were perfectly cooked and the sauces were delicious. Chicken Milanese was light with the right amount of tomatoes and arugula. The appetizers were also very good. Probably the best restaurant in the area. If you can't get a reservation they also serve dinner in the bar area. read more

First off you should know the 2 time James Beard award winning Chef sold Primo and is only a consultant and not there all the time. The grounds are lovely the outside of the farmhouse very nice. So now what we did not enjoy. We made reservations 3 weeks in advance. The hostess was very uppity. We were taken upstairs and seated in a dark corner of a room that was just off the bar. Not great but ok. We had to wait for the server to come over and go over specials and ask for drinks. First off don't look at the Menu online. The menu we had in the restaurant was not the same. So my husband orders a cocktail called the Bacon Bourbon with bitters. The drink did not have very much if any Bourbon in it he does not like to return things so he did not say anything. I don't remember the drink name I ordered but again if there was any Alcohol in the drink it was a wave of the bottle over it. So we placed our orders me the sea scallops and my husband the Salmon. We ordered the stuff squash blossom appetizer to share. This was the best thing we had to eat or drink the whole meal other than a quarter size free fishcake that came out before the appetizer. My scallop dish had no starch offering on my plate and a few shavings of radishes and some cilantro sprigs those I guess were my vegetables. The scallops were very gritty obviously not cleaned properly and were cold. My husbands salmon, over half of the piece was raw which he did not eat. He had grits on his plate which he said were ok, he also had spinach and micro greens and some cauliflower on his plate again only ok. Given our not great experience with the other things we ordered we said no to dessert. The bill came by the time you added tip it was by far the most I have paid in quite some time for a terrible experience and to still be hungry after spending over $170.00 for 2 drinks 1 appetizer and 2 small dinners. I had so been looking forward to coming to Primo based on what I had heard about this restaurant but after our experience I would not recommend this place. Save your money and go somewhere else. A last comment a diner next to us as we were getting up from our table flagged down a manger type and was questioning her about the other rooms and where they had been seated. They said they had made reservations and did not feel their table was the best. I commented to the management that we also had made reservations and it appeared the people that just walked in received better table than those of us who took the time to make reservations. She's like you weren't happy with your table and I said no and that I would not be coming back nor would I be recommending this establishment. read more

Best meal I've had in Rockland. We also enjoy the sister restaurant in Orlando at the JW Marriot. Add Primo to uour must try list. read more

Without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and delicious dining experiences I have had in a long time. Primo was just getting started for the season, having opened the week before (Mother's Day). Herbs, vegetables, greens, honey and eggs are all raised on site for quality and freshness. I went back to their menu to check the items we had just last week, and it is obvious that it changes frequently. Suffice it to say that *nothing* we had on the menu that evening was anything less than stellar! Service was snap and on point, but not pretentious. During the high season, you will be hard-pressed to get a reservation at the last minute, or so locals have told me. If you are planning to go to the Camden/Rockland area, get on the phone NOW, or you might miss this incredible experience. Expensive, but less than Natalie's (which you should avoid, IMO), and most definitely worth it. Go with an appetite and time to walk around their gardens. Lovely, lovely, lovely evening. read more

We drove 5 hours to Rockland specifically to dine at Primo and were not disappointed. From the amuse-bouche to the complimentary after-dinner sweets, the meal was superb. Flavor, texture, color and freshness were there in spades and portions were more than adequate, not as in some restaurants where high quality (fresh, local, free-range etc. ) translates to small portions. Service was knowledgeable and professional, but not formal and the setting was inviting and comfortable. We dined on a Sunday just after the summer season and the service pace was comfortable and we had no wait for our reservation. Considering the quality of the food, the prices were appropriately matched. The only disappointment was the bread, which given that one of the two owners primary credential is self-taught breadmaker and pastry chef, was unremarkable and served at room temperature, less tasty than the average parisian baguette. Perhaps it was merely meant to be fodder for the rich exquisite olive oil dipping. read more

Thank you for the best meal I have ever had. Amazing food and excellent service. The farm to table experience is second to none. Go early and walk around the gardens . read more

OKM Bungalow- don't be fooled!! Truth in advertizing - NOT! Primo-- sorry, not!! Secundo- possibly -- Tercero-- likley!! Perhaps we read the website inaccurately. It seemed to suggest that you could order anything from the main menu from the OKM barn as well as at the lounge and bar, but this most certainly was not the case. After a very long wait in line -- we arrived promptly at the opening at 1 pm - we discovered then that the menu was not, in fact, the same as the main restaurant menu. It was a snack bar- Castle Island style (Sullivan's)-- if you know anything about South Boston--with house white, rose and red for your pleasure. The ambiance-- well, my husband capured it well-- felt a bit like we were in a booze cruise as we waited in line and were finally told by the cashier that our order number was 45 -- and then he made a not-so-kind comment about how our number was a bit "retrograde" or some such snide remark. Clearly he has issues around age poor dear, but honestly not an appropriate remark for a frontiline worker. I am not sure what the service and food is like if you make a reservation 4 months in advance for a spot inside the main restaurant as our adult children from the San Francisco and New York areas areso eagerly proned to do when they visit. Howerver, I would say that if we got a taste of how the proverbial sausage is made behind the scenes of this outfil, we would definitely not rate this as a number one opportunity for a premier, authenitic taste of Maine. From that perspective it is definitley a third rate pretentious wanna be farm to table imitation. read more

Great vibe and spectacular service. Food is mostly superb, but in a large party, two of our party had sub-impressive entrees. The tuna was sent back to the kitchen, it couldn't be cut! The Cavatenni was earthy and bland. All other entrees were fabulous. The bread is terrific. Service is wonderful, but not fast. Overall a superb restaurant, but not perfect. read more

Ate dinner at this restaurant Saturday night. We had an 8 o'clock reservation. Our table was not ready and so they told us to go upstairs to the bar and get a drink. We went upstairs and there were two seats at the bar we sat down and were chastised for sitting at the bar because that was for people eating. Why were we told to go up there and get a drink? There was no place to stand at the bar there was no place to stand downstairs because the little foyer was so crowded. We were finally seated and dinner was just OK. I think $33 for sausage rigatoni is a little ridiculous. I realized that I had lost a earring there and called There's nobody to answer the phone they don't give you an option to talk to anybody in person. All in all not a great experience. Overrated and overpriced read more

Ill start by saying we've been twice before and had a lovely time- I think we had an off night or an off waiter- but I was disappointed that it's how it was handled from there which is why the three star review. We had a reservation (8:30) and we definitely wanted to go while we were in town, supposed to be the high meal of the trip on our last night. We arrived and waited about 5 minutes for the hostess to greet us. No issue- little surprising for this level of dining. We were seated at a 4 top upstairs which as we arrived at the hostess realized wasn't actually fully finished being set up. Again no issue we aren't fussy- again little surprising for this level of dining. Paul was our waiter- maybe it had already been a long night for him. It seemed like the other waiters at tables around us were a little more present/ engaged (to include at the end of dinner both tables next to us were offered Bixby/Primo anniversary chocolate bars and we were not but that's probably because they were ready to see the end of us... more on that in a bit) The food- excellent as always and the kitchen was very accommodating. In looking at the sample menu ahead of time my father had seen grilled oysters. They weren't being served that night but our waiter inquired with the kitchen and they accommodated which was kind of them to do. We had a pizza to start, salads and oysters all around, the egg on the farmers salad was particularly noteworthy. Entrees- Squid ink pasta special- excellent dish. Would not change a thing my husband was very satisfied. Skate- Very good dish- larger than average portion of fish. My only regret was probably that I didn't also get the special because it was that good. Ricotta Cavatelli- The homemade pasta was excellent but my mother remarked several times that there was basically no chicken in it. This is really strange for my mom to do. She's not a big portion size person so if she was looking for it there wasn't much there. Swordfish- Excellent dish - when it arrived. When our entrees came out- Two cavatelli came out. My dad had very clearly stated "Ill have the swordfish I had been looking forward to having some since we arrived on the east coast" so the mistake was easily recognized by all including our waiter who realized he entered the order wrong. That went back and the kitchen did knock out a very nice swordfish dish that came to the table about ten minutes later piping hot. Honestly shit happens- I care more about how you recover from it. It sort of only went downhill from there. So at this point I probably would have expected a "hey sorry about the flub- desert is on the house what can we get you." Didn't come- so be it. We still ordered 3 deserts. Sorbet (white choc/ clementine was to die for), Budino, and Zeppolli. Sorbet and Bundino came quickly. Waiter said he'd be right back with the Zeppolli. A solid ten minutes later he returns empty handed with the manager. As it turns out they had run out of batter and the chef was whipping more up and they offered to send us with them to go if we waited another 10 minutes- free of charge. At this point it's after 10pm, the restaurant is almost totally empty and I think everyone was a bit done. They are really excellent so I opted to wait. But the whole incident was just confusing- it took a very long time to communicate (well after the other deserts were on the table) that there was an issue to our table. My father did say to the front of the house manager (I assume) who had come out to express his apologies- no issues I'm more bothered by the Swordfish. For which he apologized (but also looked like he didn't know that had happened) but no additional adjustments were made to the check. Ultimately we ate and drank well (a round of cocktails and a bottle of wine) and left for about $400 (pre tip) with free donuts. Given all the issues- I think there are probably better dining experiences to be had in the area. read more

Last weekend our family had the great opportunity to celebrate many special occasions at Primo. It was my first time there and I fell in love with the concept, the gardens, the atmosphere, and the amazing food. The chef & owner Melissa's creativity and execution is clearly awarding winning. All of this was enhanced by the exceptional people giving their all to make our experience perfect. Thank you - we will be back. read more

See all

Have eaten here before and very much enjoyed it. It is a splurge. Tonight was a comparably disappointing experience. The raw oysters all had chips of shell in the brine that I had to spit out. During two of the courses one of the severs kept trying to clear my plate(s) while I was still eating, which made me feel unnecessarily hurried and pressured. It was annoying and unprofessional. It should not have happened once, say nothing of repeatedly. What the hell? My main course, duck breast was overcooked. I ordered medium rare, it was a thorough medium. Still tasty enough, but for the price I'm paying, I would like it as ordered. I was very surprised (and disappointed) that it was not, considering the establishment's reputation and that of the chef. Some of the mushrooms in the duck dish were so shockingly saturated in a harsh vinegar that they were inedible, especially if one was pairing wine with the dish, which I was. My coffee showed up before my dessert course, which was also disappointing. The lobster bisque amuse bouche was excellent. read more

Amazing farm to table . TRUE farm to table . Beautifully plated dishes . The bar is awesome for any occasion also . We love upstairs the most ! Super eclectic and delicious! read more

9/21/18 Friday afternoon Emily at Curator YEAH!!!!!!! recommended this place for a drink at 4:30, at 4:50, 2nd in line. Sat at the bar, enjoyable conversations, nice liquor SCOTCH selection, informed, helpful & unobtrusive service, incredible food & wonderful dining experience! We had beef & barley soup, daily special quail stuffed with kale, pork and I forgot on hash brown in duck fat & the house specialty, pork saltimbocca. Dessert was peach & strawberry crostata. WOW! read more

Wonderful dinner! Wandered the farm before we ate. I had a Lobster and risotto entree that was incredible!

My wife first read about this place several years ago and we have been trying to get there ever since. Fortunately, this past weekend we prevailed. Despite the built up expectations over time, the place hit every note. Like most fine dining restaurants, they have created a menu that highlights locally grown, seasonal ingredients. In fact, they source a lot of the veggies right from gardens behind the restaurant. They started us off with a delicious duck liver crostini, topped with caramelized onion. I had the foie gras as a, appetizer which was unbelievable. So many things going on that all came together perfectly. My wife had Duck for her entre and I had steak au poivre. Both were cooked perfectly. One of my favorite things about the place was that they had a nice selection of wines by the half bottle. A nice option when only one at the table is imbibing. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful and the whole experience packed all the punch of fine dining without any of the pretentiousness. All in all, a great experience and I will definitely return the next time I am in the area. read more

Amazing amazing! Decor is beautiful and food is even better. I love seeing the farm out back. Will definitely be back next time I am in Maine. read more

Primo - Pic of the farm at Primos - Mediterranean Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Perfection. Yelp wouldn't let me just post that word "perfection", said it was to short. So I'm writing all these superfluous words so that they will post this. The food was perfectly balanced. read more

See all

Wow! Atmosphere . Food . Seriously amazing. We ordered off the bar menu and couldn't have enjoyed it more. I got the charred broccoli...to die for. There were also dollar oysters on this Thursday night which is also awesome. The spicy wings on special were best I've ever had. We took a sneak peek of the kitchen and it was mezmorizing! They worked so quietly yet so well together...like an oiled machine! Such an amazing and breathtaking experience! read more

It is truly sad to witness the very serious decline of this once excellent restaurant. We've been several times over the past many years and have always had at least a very good experience. Our recent experience at Primo was dreadful on many levels, indeed shockingly so. We arrived a few minutes early for a 7:30 reservation and were told that there would be a "short wait". It was suggested that we wait or have a drink at the upstairs bar. We went upstairs to wait, and could barely step into the bar area, it was so packed. There was obviously no place to sit at the bar or elsewhere to either wait or have a drink. People were packed in like sardines, and the servers were doing their best to squeeze between waiting guests who were standing shoulder to shoulder. We went back downstairs to wait, but there was nowhere to wait even there. Indeed, the entryway was totally clogged making it difficult for arriving guests to get in. (Doesn't Maine have fire marshals...this was clearly a dangerous situation!). We kept returning to the hostess desk where a very uncaring and nonchalant woman kept brushing us off and telling us to wait. After 40 minutes we were finally seated at a table. Our server arrived shortly and was not especially welcoming. Indeed he was rather brusque, perhaps because he was stressed by the overpacked house. He immediately told us that if we wanted salmon, there was only one order left and it needed to be ordered at once! He's rushing us after we've be kept waiting 40 minutes!! We had drinks then ordered dinner. Our food arrived and three of the four entrees ordered were poor. One of us ordered the whole fish of the day which was filleted at the table. It remained absolutely full of bones and was not good. Two others of us ordered the short ribs which were fatty, yet tough and dried out...very poor. One of us had halibut which was just ok...not bad, but not great either. All in all this was an extremely unpleasant and altogether unsatisfactory dinner. With the many other wonderful choices for dinner in the area (like Fresh or Francine's in Camden) it's difficult to see why folks continue to pack this restaurant. It's likely that its being filled with out-of-town patrons who've read about this restaurant and its past glory. It's unfortunately gone terribly downhill! read more

Simply put, the food and service lives beyond expectation. I knew I was going to a restaurant that has a high standard of quality with all aspects of the experience. My personal experience was exactly that; high quality from beginning to end, from drink to plate, from appetizer to main course to dessert. Our server was exceptional to say the least. She was timely, kind, and answered all questions with honest and detailed responses. The food, to my amazement, yet expected, was perfect. I don't intend to toss such an adjective around, but perfect is the correct description for everything I tasted at Primo. I highly recommend the NY sirloin cooked medium rare...simply delicious. I CANNOT wait for my next visit. read more

Another special meal. We went five years ago on a visit from NYC and ever since, I'd wanted to return, it's that good. This time, we made a deliberate and immediate side trip to Rockland just to eat at Primo (the rest of our trip is Bar Harbor; we flew into Bangor so not at all enroute). We had flight delays galore getting to Maine that put our reservation at risk and they were really helpful to insure we could have a delightful meal. That meant the world to me. Our server was lovely. The food was as delicious as I remembered - and our travel issues had left us unfed all day so it tasted truly heavenly. The negronis were the perfect antidote to hours at LaGuardia. The halibut was fabulous. The fried oyster salad - YUM. The wood fired pizza farm fresh and the perfect starter to take the edge off. Oh, and the creme caramel dessert made me very happy. And, the warm hospitality after a long day was the best. Thank you Primo. read more

Go to OpenTable http://www.opentable.com/primo-rockland?hpu=652996590&shpu=1&p=2&rid=45046&pt=100,100,100,100,100&t=fr&sd=9/10/2011%207:00%20PM&i=0&d=,,9/10/2011%209:30:00%20PM,, Find a time that is available a go enjoy a marvelous meal. Others in Maine may equal but none will be finer. read more

My absolute favorite Restaurant! My wife and I enjoyed Primo this evening and it happened to be that last night they were open before closing for the season. I was once again extremely impressed with the entire experience. We arrived an hour early and we're greeted by the hostess that took our jackets and pointed us upstairs towards the direction of the bar, where we could enjoy a drink and appetizer while we waited for our table. Upstairs we enjoyed a few drinks, along with some fresh oysters, and the beef tar tar. The service at the bar was extremely friendly and very prompt. After we finished our apps and moved onto another drink, the hostess arrived telling us our table was ready. After assuring us our tab would be forwarded, she loaded our drinks onto a serving tray and beckoned us to follow her to our table. We walked back down stairs through the dining room filled with happy customers enjoying their own experiences. She sat us at a table set to sit us across for each other and seemed pleasantly surprised to hear we wanted to sit next to each other. Immediately she placed the drinks down, got rid of the tray, and moved the place settings to accommodate. A moment later we were greeted by a young lady asking us if we preferred tap water or sparkling and bringing us some wonderful home made bread and olive oil. The waitress showed up a minute or two later and told us of the evenings specials. I chose the pork chop special and my wife had the local fluke. Both were amazing. They even brought us out a beautiful lobster bisque (compliments of the chef), while we waited for our meals. After we finished what we could of our meals, our server boxed them up for us. We couldn't help ourselves but to order the zeppole, who doesn't love donuts anytime of the day? When we were finished with our dessert, she brought us our check along with our to go boxes and some cookies that were to die for! This restaurant is a five stars all around! The service, the drinks, the food, the portions, the ambiance, all FIVE STARS! I will be back in May 2017 with bells on! Worth a drive from anywhere! A true farm to table! read more

Primo - I instantly assumed it was a ribeye, but it was the most delicious pork chop I have enjoyed yet!!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Rockland, Maine

The farm to table aspect was way over played and not that remarkable. We waited 45 minutes for a reservation made months in advance then had to wait an additional 5 min in the cramped hallway with servers buzzing around us. Waited an additional 10 min to Order and another 20 min to be served. After more than four hours, we ordered enough desserts for the table THEN the management sent additional desserts. No thanks, very out of touch management. Maybe comp the desserts WE ALREADY ORDERED or just apologize but don't insult us with your clearly insincere offering. I notice the other negative reviews have been sent to the review graveyard and I assume this one will reside there shortly. Until then, perhaps at least a few patrons will know the real story behind this once great, now poorly managed restaurant. read more

4 stars for the food. 4 stars for the cocktails and drink menu. 3 for the price ($18 is a lot for pizza and $33 is a lot for pasta... big city prices in the middle of Maine) 2 for the service.... The hostess was unable to tell us how long the wait would be when we arrived at 5:30pm to sit in the lounge/upstairs. She told us we could get comfortable on the porch and she would be down to get a drink order "eventually." An hour later she came down for our drink order and by the time we had our drinks our table was ready (70 minute wait). We would have appreciated knowing how long the wait would be instead of just saying "things are moving" and "I'll get to you eventually..." This same disorganization and lackadaisical service was continued once we were seated as our server would go missing for long periods of time and when she was present she spent more time talking to us and telling us personal anecdotes than taking our order and answering our questions about the menu. Unfortunately when we joked among ourselves that we felt like we may still be stuck there at breakfast (as it was 8:30pm and we still didn't have desserts that we had ordered, which were only our second course) our server brought us the menu again and joked that maybe we should consider the zeppole (donuts) for breakfast too. She clearly eavesdropped and decided to make snarky comments instead of noticing our frustration and trying to improve our experience. After 3.5 hours and well over $300 in pizza/drinks/dessert for 4 people... we'll pass on this next time. But be warned, this place is always busy... as it has no competition within a 50 mile radius. read more

V disappointing and v expensive birthday dinner for four. Totally unimaginative salad for $14. Limp greens, a couple of red leaves and three cherry tomatoes. When asked for some vegetarian options, met with tolerant reply and nothing inspiring whatsoever. Miserable pasta for two people that needed to be cut with a knife not a fork. Salmon had a greasy grey layer of skin on top which should have been crispy. Nice server, nice staff. Ridiculously expensive. Don't waste your money. May 23rd 2018 read more

I was really excited for this meal as we had been planning on the day trip up to Rockland for a while. Regretfully I have to say the place disappointed on many fronts. I'll start off with the good; as has been stated here before the Hudson River Foie Gras appetizer is amazing. The foie gras is layered with ham, and is spectacular. Everything went downhill after that. I had the snapper, shrimp, and grits as my entree and it was completely over spiced. I ate most of the fish by itself as it had a delicate flavor and when incorporated into the rest of the dish it was overpowered by tasso and heat. I expected a lot more subtlety and finesse from a $40 dish. We had the sticky toffee pudding for dessert and it was average at best. I generally don't get into patrons behavior when I review a place, but I'll make an exception here. Midway through our meal a group of people were seated next to us. They were all in their 60's and had obviously had too much to drink. They stared at my wife and I and the woman in the party began to loudly disparage us for our tattoos to her friends. They were loud, knocking things over, and slurring their speech, yet the staff continued to serve them bottle after bottle of wine. This is even after they had a loud argument over who would be driving home. I understand that cutting people off can put servers in an uncomfortable position and even translate to a loss in tip, but the level of malfeasance on the restaurant's part here could easily leave them vulnerable to a lawsuit and rightfully so. I highly doubt that I will be returning to Primo and if you are coming from the Portland area I highly suggest you forgo the drive and patronize one of the many fine restaurants here. read more

Haut cuisine in Rockland. Well prepared foods and cocktails, great wine, beer, and spirits lists, well-informed and professional service. We had a family gathering for a birthday there and Primo made it a special experience. read more

Would I return to a one star reviewed restaurant? You bet your your organically raised slow cooked sweet pork butt I would! Why? Da food. Cocktails of Bitter Truth and gimlet special very balanced and tasty. Farmer salad dressed with lemon parmesan vinaigrette, house made bacon and a poached egg...now why can't I do this at home? Arancini filled with braised chicken...better than my mom's...sorry Marian. Pappardelle with local pork and beef bolognese...don't you love a dish that literally gets better with every bite? A crock of baked polenta with chorizo toped with kale...boinggg! Why the lone star you ask? Colin. Ok so I'm getting old and have a hard time with background bar noise and a mumbling 20 something waiter. No prob got two similar hunks of protoplasm at home. I'm used to saying huh, wah, repeat please. Holding back on reciting half the daily specials? No problem... just eavesdropped waitress serving table six feet away spewing double the list of specials with perfect enunciation, pronunciation, and projection thank you. I can forgive forgetfulness (even though he was reading from a list for g'sake), being high (I wish I was there) and/or distraction (chatting up babes at the bar)...but... Returning an obvious corked glass of pinot noir (THE first wine I've ever returned mind you) and being told that the bartender would open another bottle... and to be served ANOTHER corked pinot noir... from the other bottle... very quickly... to be returned without hesitation... for a more expensive malbec!!! Too bad I spoiled the comic entertainment for Colin and the bartender (unless he acted alone in the bate and switch...hmmm... oh what paranoid webs of deceit we do weave). That I cannot forgive. I'll go back...and request the waitress with the Peyton Manning pipes. read more

They over charged my card by doubling the bill. When I called them, they didn't give me an answer when they can solve it and the reason is they were busy with customers coming in! Cannot believe this happens in this highly reviewed restaurant. Very disappointing! ! read more

Primo? Not so much! Food delicious! Yes. Atmosphere overwhelmingly snobby, though. There tonight celebrating birthdays and 20 year wedding anniversaries, and owner walked over to admonish us for having "more fun than the tables around us". We've come to Primo each year for the past 10 years. Never again! $1,000 later and unwelcome comments later, we're done. Never again! read more

Can't do better than Primo! Certainly the best Italian food in Maine and at least as good as any other place we've been, including Italy!

Disappointing I have been to this restaurant a number of times in the past and been in love with the food and service. Unfortunately after being away a couple of years, the food and service have both gone downhill. Although the prices have not declined at all... They have opened another restaurant in the bar area that you do not need a reservation for which is packed. This seems to be the downfall of the place. The wait staff seems overwhelmed and food is "sold out" even though we arrived at 6 PM. Service was spotty at best. The appetizers came out for three - the 4th person waited 10 minutes for his. Three entrees also came out at once - the 4th entree - this time belonging to someone else took another 15 minutes! When we asked - the waitstaff apologized explaining a "computer glitch" and a "printing error" We also spoke to the manager/owner and he could not have cared less. This seem like one of those restaurants that grew too fast through greed and poor planning and unfortunately destroyed what was working. I would not return again. read more

Primo Disgusto. Amid much fanfare, we decided to finally visit Primo, a charming farmhouse restaurant in midcoast. We went for dessert and pulled up to stools at the tapas bar on the second floor. Ironically, we had been encouraged specifically to watch, from those seats, the preparation and arrangement of beautiful food. As I sat down, before my coat was even off, the tapas chef, who was arranging a small pile of brown rice on a plate, took the entire tablespoon she was using and put it into her mouth, licking off the excess food. I was wide eyed as she did this; she made direct eye contact with me, almost defiantly, and proceeded to drop the tablespoon into a cylindrical container of utensils. I was a little unsettled, but reassured myself that those utensils were set there for cleaning and removal and would not be used again. I could not have been more wrong. Therein proceeded the most appalling hour of egregious violations of ServSafe (and common decency) I have ever experienced. We proceeded to watch this woman blatantly sticking her bare hands in her mouth, snacking on dressed salads as she prepared to serve them, continuing to lick and use that same spoon - once she licked it full-on and then rested it in the fry pan, both of which she used again. At one nauseating moment, she reached her bare hand down the back of her shirt and proceeded to scratch the nape of her neck and hairline for an extended period of time before putting that same unwashed hand around a freshly cooked delicata squash that was then quickly served. We watched in veiled terror as her hands passed from meatballs, to her nose, to sprigs of parsley, with not so much as a wipe on her soiled chef's rag. There was no sink anywhere back there - not that she seemed very interested in cleansing. Her co-worker (the eyebrow rubber with a band-aid on one of his ungloved hands) was no better, but I was most horrified with the amount of eating, with her hands, that this particular chef did right in front of me and other patrons. Unless the transmission of shedding skin, nail grime, and saliva is some new culinary haute-fad, Primo really struck out with these tapas chefs. I'd like to know whether this is egregious behavior or the restaurant's culture and expectations of their staff. I'd like to know where they get off mixing their bodily fluids with ready-to-serve food, exposing the high-paying public to all sorts of germs and infections. I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this. And if anyone has recently concocted Hep C. read more

I think it is not easy to get reservations at a moment's notice, but Primo nicely accommodates plenty of walk-ins. We were walk-ins, and so were directed upstairs. There were three seating options there: at a table, at the bar where they make the desserts (with no-back stools), or at the drinks bar that has backed-stools. Even though it was packed (on a Wednesday night!), we were able to get a table. The upstairs diners are able to choose from the regular menu, as well as a menu that has more tapas-like choices. We tried the sausage-stuffed olives from that menu. They were deep fried, but not overwhelmingly so, and were juicy and delicious. We also had the spicy sausage rigatoni and the blue fin tuna. The rigatoni was extremely flavorful; the tuna was presented with a unique side of cucumbers, tahini and small falafel bites. For dessert we had the key lime pie, which they make individually from layers of crispy pastry, key lime filling and meringue, as well as the s'mores, which was not your traditional s'mores (nary a graham cracker in sight), but still a very tasty combination of a slice of rich flourless chocolate cake topped with dollops of meringue and served with peanuts in caramel. We also had to try the zeppole, which are freshly made. They did not disappoint! We had a half-order, which was plenty! We will definitely visit again the next time we are in the area! read more

Came back to Maine for the 2014 lobsterfest at the end of July. We had an amazing trip and enjoyed fantastic food all over. Primo's again stood tall though, the food the service(the whole staff is very knowledgable of the menu and the experience in which it's owner has created) and the atmosphere were top notch. We had great drinks at the upstairs bar they have..We had a minor issue with a rude table next to us spewing some off comments louder then they should have and if not for our waitress, Busser and hostesses/manager constantly checking in on us I probably would have shown them my NJ attitude! Lol...but back to our dinners. We had fried zucchini Flowers and pork belly app specials, my girl friend had the duck and I had the Bronzino which was great! The place is or should be considered the top restaurant in Maine and I would easily say one the best on the entire east coast. read more

Our dinner at Primo was easily in our top 5 of Best Meals Ever. Husband had a glass of red, a malbec - that he loved. I had two of their very creative cocktails - a "New Fashioned" made with Woodford Reserve and a Bellini martini with peach nectar and prosecco. We began with an amuse of chicken liver mousse. I love being surprised by an amuse - lets you know instantly that you are in very good hands! And it was only up from there. We had the seared foie gras and the charcuterie plate for appetizers. All of the meats on the charcuterie plate were house-made, and the foie gras was truly an eye opener. For entrees, we had duck (described by husband as "medium-rare tasty") and a fabulous homemade pasta with sherry marinated chicken, several kinds of mushrooms, and a beautifully delicate sauce. There are several acres out back, where they grow vegetables for the restaurant as well as raise chicken and pigs. Chef Kelly is very much in the Chez Panisse tradition, having studied with Alice Waters early in her career. We hung around Rockland for a whole afternoon just so that we could have dinner at Primo and it was absolutely, 100% worth it. Can't wait to return! read more

When my husband and I were dating, we would often make the 2-hour trip up to Primo just for dinner--it is that good. Now that we have kids, it is much harder to schedule dinner dates like that. However, we did find ourselves with a free night last weekend. Where was the first place we decided to go? Primo. (Make sure you call for reservations--the only one left was at 9:30--though they did end up moving us to 8:30 when I called that morning.) I cannot say enough about this restaurant. Every time I have eaten there--a dozen at least--I leave saying it is the best meal I have had. The owners are always there, making sure the patrons are happy and that everything is running to ensure their vision. The decor and atmosphere are romantic, chic and inviting--yet as all Maine restros, there are people there in jeans up to black tie. (I am always one of the most overdressed.) They grow much of their herbs and produce on the grounds of their beautiful Victorian house and you can really taste the freshness in every recipe. They change the menu often so they are using the most seasonal ingredients. I called ahead to ask them to make a Vegan entree for me and had the most fabulous garden vegetable ratatouille with tomato marmalade and zucchini fritters. My husband had pork saltimbocca with roasted garlic whipped potatoes which he is still talking about a week later. The cocktails, wine, dessert...all top-notch. If you are even within a hour's drive of Primo, please make yourself a date and go--you will be so happy you did. read more

We really haven't had any food home runs on this trip. Dinners have been surprisingly disappointing but still, overall enjoyable -due mostly to 1) Mind over Matter and 2) We're on vaCAtion, and we're in beautiful MAINE!! (Btw, foliage color is very late this year and it is fabulously PEAKing up here, as we speak. We feel so lucky!) Primo , downstairs, is simply TOO expensive, imo, and it colored the experience for me. $36 for clam pasta, $36 for a duck entrée and $36 for the scallops entrée, none of which had expensive components in their starch or veggie accompaniments. My Love loved his muharrama scallops on spaghetti squash; my moulard duck was certainly more robust and 'ducky' than other ducks I've had, and the pickled plum sauce was interesting but not a fav. The clam pasta (we split a half-portion as an app.) was really in need of some punch, so the requested parm helped a lot. But my point is that, esp. at that price, it shouldn't have needed anything. Actually, my fav thing all night was the house made miche with Plugra butter that they whip with sea salt. (Plugra as the table butter?-- now you know where those higher food prices come from.)House-made gelati was not memorable but the accompanying Bomboli, very thin- shelled deep fried 'donuts', were ethereal. Service was professional but the kitchen def slipped into ' island time', or someone misplaced our order. Three hours for dinner was just tooo long; we prob waited 40 min for our entrees. Everyone around us seemed to be having a great time, though. If we do return, we'll take the midcoast mainiac advice to only eat upstairs, where a more casual menu is offered. read more