I'm a naturally fast eater. If a bite is so good I put my fork down, you know bells are going off in my head. I think I ate most of the meal with my eyes closed and fork paused by my plate with the Westminster Bell Choir residing in my head. It was a GORGEOUS meal. Completely unforgettable. Right off the bat, my eye caught the perfect appetizer. Foie Gras Two Ways. There is a special spot in my heart for well-prepared foie. I mean, my husband has perfected searing foie for me on special occasions - I love it THAT much. And to have two preparations provided to me? Was this heaven? Again, perfect appetizer. For the main course, I chose what our server referred to as their specialty - the Sauteed Scaloppine of Pork Saltimbocca. This dish was nothing short of elegant. The pork was tender and the mushroom-madeira jus with the garlic mashed potatoes - just MUAH! Rich and comforting, I'd be hard pressed to order something new on a return visit. There was a comment from the table on the salt content of this dish. Sure, the prosciutto added a salty-ish edge to it, but I would not say it was overbearing in the least. If you, however, find yourself to be sensitive to salt, this would be good to note. Dessert. Oh, the dessert! We ordered a bowl of zeppole with seasonal sauces for the table. Who doesn't love a donut? However, one of my colleagues and I couldn't pass up the goat cheese cake with local honey gelato. And boy are we so glad we didn't. Neither should you. read more

See all

Excellent service by Alexis, the cuisine was superb: meatballs, house made pasta, baby kale salad and the best rich flavored beans and rice with grilled vegetables vegetarian entree; dessert was chocolate ice cream with an espresso pour. House-made breads with Italian olive oil and 12 yr old balsamic vinegar. Nice wine list and creative cocktails made with herbs from their own garden. Energetic vibe from both staff and diners, smiles all around. read more

Having eaten at Primo several times during past trips to Orlando- on this visit, I was with a large group who just wanted a late night dinner of some fine food, great wine served to us in a lovely environment. We were seated at the "chefs table"; you know the one- right next to the open kitchen where we could watch the chefs preparing everyone's food. It was late but Primo was packed so we were lucky to even get a table without a reservation. Our servers came over immediately (including the manager at one point- that's how busy they were) welcoming us to Primo and taking our drink and water orders. Since it was late- we ordered simply. A couple of meat and cheese trays for the table to go with the great wine we were having as well as an entree. Funny- there were 7 in our group and 6 of us ordered the exact same thing- bolognese sauce over orichette pasta. The meats and cheeses were quite good, plenty to stave off the hunger of this convention weary crew. The bread basket was incredible- with at least three different kinds of bread, and softened butter I could have eaten the whole thing. As for the pasta- simple in it's presentation but made interesting with broccoli rabe added to the dish. Freshly shaved Parmesan finished it off. Primo uses locally grown foods and there is even a herb and vegetable garden on the grounds of the hotel that the chef uses in his entrees. In the past- I have had the salmon here as well as the pork saltimboca- both also very good. It may be a hotel restaurant, but the food, service and ambiance will have you thinking you are anywhere but in a hotel. Check it out the next time you are in town. read more

Primo magnifico!!! Impeccable service and great vibe. The dinner was incredible. The Foie Gras is one of the best I've ever had and the mushroom soup was wonderfully stacked with a variety of mushrooms...just superb. The scallops were cooked to perfection. And the dessert just was the icing on the cake but no cake here just pure puffs of deliciousnessnessnesnesnesses...the zeppoles nom nom nom. But they were too fluffy, lite, and almost guilt free unlike a real zeppole...not sure if that makes me happy or not. Why you sooo sad zeppole...you last little zeppole wanna join the party in my tummy... read more

Absolutely delicious food! Would recommend. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I felt a little pressured to order more quickly. read more

Primo - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The service and atmosphere was perfect! We sat at the bar and so happy we did. The bartender was so friendly and knowledgeable. The craft cocktails were among the best we've had. The food was wonderful. Highly recommend. Thank you for a wonderful evening. read more

Fabulous! The ingredients are super fresh and organic, you can feel the superior quality in the taste. Also the flavours are brilliantly combined. I had the mushroom bisque as starter and it was light but robust at the same time, with just a touch of truffle oil - feels like heaven! As a main I decided for the Heirloom tomato and burrata salad, super fresh, pesto sauce on point, different types of tomatos, colors, sizes, shapes with a creamy burrata. Brilliant and light. My husband had the meatballs with polenta as a starter. Flavours on point. As a main he had the gnhocchi and I have to say, I tasted it and it was one of the best ones I have ever had. It had crunchiness, softness, and an explosion of flavour. Our server Jody provided an excellent service, super friendly and attentive all the time. This place is a oasis of healthy and tasty food in Orlando. Especially refreshing after a day in the park when you only have junky food to eat and you are starving for something fabulous and healthy. read more

See all

This deserves 4.5 if I could give it. Great ambiance with wonderful fixtures. The pasta was great and the risotto of the evening, to die for. So many little nice touches that made the dining experience so enjoyable to include the staff that was so knowledgeable and helpful. One last thing, you won't believe their execution of tiramisu. read more

What does it say about Orlando restaurants when this place is considered great. Think about that for a second. OK so now that you have lowered your standards way low, this restaurant is OK, but it's not anywhere near great, and if you can get a table at Morimoto or the Paul Bocuse restaurant at Epcot or Homecoming at Disney Springs, go there instead. If you do go here: Gnochhi was chewy and hard and overcooked and sitting in a pond of grease. Porterhouse steak was OLD and I should have returned it but it was a birthday dinner and I did not want to be rude to my hosts. The much recommended bolognese was no big deal. The burrata and tomato salad was awful (both tasteless). Desserts were also NBD. I would never return here. The service was nothing special. The dining room is nice. read more

Not too bad at all! Kelsie did a wonderful job looking after our big table. Octopus (yum) and meatballs (meh), the heirloom tomato and canteloupe salad suffered from some not having top notch ingredients, but the pan seared mahi-mahi was awesome. Some great wine and perhaps too many good desserts. It may have got a little blurry after the first few cocktails and wines, lol. But definitely left with a smile :) read more

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Truly spectacular experience. THE best restaurant experience I've had this year. Delicious food. Attentive service. read more

This was a 10 star meal... so outstanding and flavorful, a complete joy to all my senses‼. A birthday meal (experience) with my daughter, son-in-law & wonderful grand-girl. We began with drinks int he bar by Joshua- super good & attentive‼. We had checked the menu but I was a little apprehensive because it was so limited and changed often. However we were all completely won over with our service (Jody) & and the quality & variety of the offerings, we began with appetizers-bread service, aricini, charcuterie board, yellow-fin tuna w/fried avocado. Entrees were unbelievable‼ all food is fresh, organic and locally sourced! The pasta is all made in house and unbelievably delicious. The presentation, aromas, favors and textures are something to be totally enjoyed. My company & myself have experienced some fine restaurants in the past but we all agree this is one of our finest meals, Thank you very much Prime read more

No need to look for a place to have dinner while attending a conference at the JW Marriott when this fantastic Italian restaurant is right on-site! We had a 6:00 pm reservation and were seated at a beautifully comfortable semi-circular booth. Our server, Brandon, was experienced, knowledgeable ahs friendly. We chose a Beran 2013 Zinfandel, which was one of the lesser priced wines on an extensive wine list ($40), but nonetheless was a beautiful big wine that did not disappoint. We then ordered an antipasti of cheeses, cured meats, olives and honeycomb that was the perfect size for two. For our entree, my friend had the dinner sized Gnocchi, which she described as delectable; butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, kale and onions. I had the dinner sized Wild Boar Bolognese, which was absolutely mouth-watering sublime. I asked for some crushed red pepper to kick it up a notch and loved every single bite. All pastas are house-made; there is an herb and vegetable garden just outside and the flavors burst on the tongue. Breads are also made in-house and a perfect complement to the antipasti. Including tip, our entire meal was about $75 per person, very reasonable for the quality, flavor and service. Our server Brandon had plenty of help: empty plates were whisked away, wine and water glasses refilled without prompting and the bread basket was never empty. I would highly recommend Primo to anyone in Orlando, whether you're staying at the hotel or not. On my opinion, 5 stars aren't enough!! read more

Primo - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

I was a bit iffy about choosing to dine at primo but it was in our hotel so thought we would give it a try. Turned out to be really delicious!! The pizza was great as well as our meals. The staff were super friendly and helpful with the menu. I would definitely recommend if you're in the area. The menu could use a couple more items but I guess it makes picking your meal easy. read more

Primo - Spaghetti & meatball - - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

Really good. Don't look at the menu online it does not update- we held off going because we thought the menu was so limited online- but finally went and realized there is a large menu and the food is delicious. We keep going when we are up that way- delicious each time! Bolognese was delicious, pizza too and the Arancini- excellent! read more

Upscale Italian place in the JW Marriott hotel. The ambience is luxe Florida contemporary, with some nice spaces and views. There are some craft cocktails and pricey wines by the glass. One of my pet peeves is when I have to ask for bread when other tables have it already. Especially when we've been sitting at the table with cocktails for several minutes. Our group of 3 started with arancini - deep fried risotto balls. They came with some tomato sauce, pesto and a generous amount of shaved Parmesan. Tasty but not special. The mushroom bisque is delicious, served with a crostini and local wild mushrooms. The salads are generously sized and super fresh, probably sourced from the garden that's right outside the hotel. For our main courses, we tried some pasta and the veal Osso Bucco. All the pastas are house made and fresh. The fettuccine with lobster and shrimp was delicious except that the shrimp were over cooked. The shells with basil and mint pesto was light and herbaceous, very tasty. The veal Osso Bucco was was unfortunately a disappointment. A shame that a dish renowned for richness and savoriness was bland and unrewarding. Where were the pan drippings? Where was that rich sauce? The meat is served on a bed of creamy Parmesan polenta which was nice but there was no sauce. Come on! I had to ask for salt which came out of the salt shaker in such small amounts that I must have looked comical shaking it and shaking it over my plate. Plus, there was a small fork placed in the shank bone for getting the marrow out. Note to restaurant - it's supposed to be a spoon. Hard to scoop marrow out of the bone with a fork. For dessert we had the warm chocolate lava cake - budino - it was very good though the fresh mint ice cream was sort of toothpaste-like in flavor, like spearmint, definitely a whoa! moment in a bad way. Not having a 1/2 star option for reviews, I rounded up to 3 stars. It's a nice place to have a meal. Just fix the salt shaker! read more

I must be honest, I had an amazing experience at this restaurant on December 30th. Staff and food was amazing. I made a second reservation as a result of the first experience. This dining experience was the total opposite. I feel that the manager, Amanda, ruined this for our family, which by the way was our last vacation day. My granddaughters wanted to order from the kids menu and she made this feel as if we were making a huge violation. I mentioned we had ordered The night before. I was not very hungry and due to personal dietary issues, I had also ordered from that menu. Not only did she indicate that was not allowed but went out of her way to find out who the waiter was so she could "address" with him. Bottom line, terrible experience, and would not return due to her response and attitude. She was more interested in being right vs ensuring that we enjoyed the meal. I personally thank the waiter that originally served us for his amazing service and understanding of our needs. read more

Really 4.5 stars. Orlando has a Mainer treat that people should invest time in to know. We went for a birthday celebration and here are my thoughts. The space is beautiful, comfortable, and noise is totally controlled. This is a great place for any occasion. We started out at the bar before we met our reservation with some cocktails. My husband had a French 75 and I had a Manhattan. His was okay, mine was fantastic. Plus they had these amazing pencil thin savory breadsticks. We took our table, and we were immediately met and greeted. Between the waiter and the wait support, the service was completely 5 stars. They were on it, knew every detail of every item I had questions about, and were engaged but knew when to step away. The food was very very good. We started with the sausage stuffed olives. I loved them, but my husband was not a fan. I had an amazing beet and goat cheese salad that was so delicious and delicate. My husband had farmer salad, which I think was simply divine. It was spot on similar to the one we had at their original location in Maine. Bravo. For our main meals, this is where the food remained great, but was just not at a top notch level as what our appetizer and salad had suggested nor our what their Maine location knocked out of the park. I had the saltimboca, which was very good, good quantity, but not life changing. My husband had the slow braised beef short ribs. Again, it was good, but we both realized it was really just a pot roast and again not life changing. So, all the food was good to great. The service was spectacular. read more

For the past three years, my wife and I have been attending the Chef's Gala, which benefits the Heart of Florida United Way. This year was the 25th anniversary of the event; and, Disney pulled out all the stops for the event. If you are a foodie; and, love a good cause; and, love fine dining, this is the event for you, with almost 20 venues showcasing their culinary talents. Primo's offering of Crispy Pork Belly and Scallops with Cauliflower Purée, Romanesco. Charred Tomato and Roasted local Mushrooms was a great example. The pairing with Storypoint Chardonnay was unconventional; but, successful, with the sharp acidity of the wine cutting through the unctuous fat of the pork belly. The scallops offered a nice sweet note and served as a fine counterpoint to the pork, which was a bit more chewy than crispy. The sweet note was amplified a bit with the charred tomatoes; but was reigned in a bit with the cauliflower puree. Overall, a very good dish. read more

Stayed at the Ritz for a romantic weekend getaway and booked dinner here since Highball & Harvest had no availability. Had high expectations for a meal costing $100+ and really wanted to like everything, but the overall experience was hit or miss. The service itself was excellent, and the bread was delicious, albeit cold. The meatballs were tasty and well seasoned, as was the bed of polenta on which it was served. But the Tuscan Bean soup tasted like little more than boiled beans and was surprisingly lacking in flavor. The Farmer Salad was truly disappointing. It was small, and contained only lettuce with some bits of very salty bacon. The Linguini was okay, but nothing amazing, with done truly tiny Cape Canaveral red shrimp. However, the Ice Cream Sandwich dessert was incredible. read more

Excellent restaurant! I would highly recommend dining here if your ever at the Marriott resort. They open at 6 pm. My wife and I were third in line and because of that, seated quickly. Our server was very polite and timely. I can't recall what my wife's dish was but she really enjoyed it. I had the pan seared Florida grouper...wow, excellent dish. The fish was seasoned well and prepared very good. The other staff seemed to be very professional also. We were very please with our experience. read more

Primo - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

See all

Was expecting more from this restaurant inside the JW. Menu was limited to 3 different pizzas and only four pasta options. Our server gave poor wine recommendations and seemed to be off all night. Even with two or three additional helpers I still found myself looking around for service. Guess I came on an off night but I won't be coming back. Nothing I ate was very memorable. read more

My son and I were staying at the hotel for 4 days. We loved this restaurant so much that we ate here twice. We sat at the bar because we didn't want table service. The bartender was so nice and she gave us great service. My son had the Mahi Mahi and loved it. He actually talked about the dish for 2 days. He said it was the best fish he ever ate. I got the chicken fettuccine. The fettuccine was so different from the other fettuccine's I've had in the past. Really good. We split the Farmer salad with the poached egg on top. It was delicious. The next night I just got the Farmer salad and my son got the Marinated Lake Meadows Chicken. He really liked it. I tried a little bit and it was really good. The bartender then brought a little trio of deserts for us to try. That was a really nice treat. If you want great service and excellent food this is the restaurant to eat at. read more

There are so many good things to say!! Number one, the service; absolutely amazing. When we first arrived, we had a party of five which quickly grew to seven and thankfully they had availability, but the hostesses were so kind and patient with our last minute changes and quickly accommodated us. They were very cognizant of any food allergies or sensitivities that anyone had. Martha waited on us and we couldn't have asked for anyone better. She thoughtfully described some of the highlighted menu items and you could tell that she was extremely passionate about the food herself. She was patient and friendly and so considerate. Outside of our meal orders, they presented us with some complimentary samples before dinner and some complimentary dessert samples after dinner. Second, the food was so well thought out and each flavor was well highlighted. The food was great, but honestly the ambiance of the entire place made even more of an impact. It's extremely elegant but doesn't feel stuffy and the friendliness of the staff makes you feel like you're amongst friends. Thank you all (including Martha) for such a wonderful evening. read more

This was on of the nicest Italian restaurants I've eaten at. The handmade pasta was delicious. They also had many gluten free & vegetarian options for my sister. Our waiter, Brandon, really made us feel special. We will definitely dine here again. read more

See all

Sooooo does anyone else get tired of the bullshit 2 star commenters that talk about how great the food is, how wonderful the service is but how it's really expensive? I do! I went, I stayed, I dined and I enjoyed. Solid 4 maybe even a 5. For some reason this restaurant gets a bunch of pretentious diners that think because they are staying at the JW or the Ritz (on their companies dime) that their salmon doesn't stink. I find these people are unfair in their ratings and don't appreciate the fine food this place delivers. Service was fine, we had no reservation (there were 4 of us) and we ate in the bar area, not at the bar. Amazing starters, dinners and desserts. Don't be so stuck up and enjoy this restaurant. read more

Let me start by saying, we have heard amazing things about this chef including her being a James Beard Award winning chef. Being that we are foodies this is an exciting moment for us Floridians (considering most Florida restaurants do not recieve accolades). Unfortunately this experience was a complete miss. We arrived an hour early for our reservation and decided to have a drink at the bar, the bar was packed so we decided to go to a bar down the hall(in hind sight of would have been nice if the host would have taken a phone number and called us when our table was ready but either way no problems)! We were seated towards the back in a large booth. The decor of the restaurant is dated, the lights were very bright and we were sitting under a loud speaker that was playing pop music. My husband and I were hoping to have a romantic dinner but the atmosphere was just not helping. The restaurant was FULL of kids (we have 3 of our own so that is ok and considering it is in a hotel and its summer that is understandable). We mentioned the music to our waitress several times and she sort of laughed it off(we would have loved for her to rectify it, but I guess not). We were excited to try many of the things we had seen in the yelp reviews but unfortunately many were not available. The restaurant has a farm to table philosophy and grows much of there produce on site or it is purchased locally. I love this concept. We decided to order a lamb salad to start, it was delish. For our entrees I ordered pasta with a fresh mushroom ragu. My husband ordered lamb ravioli. Both were completely dry (maybe a teaspoon of sauce on the bottom of the plate and my pasta had soooooo much grit from the mushrooms it was uneatable). The waitress asked if we liked it and we said they were ok but she should have pressed considering neither of us ate our dinners. For desert we order the chocolate cake which was like many molten lava cakes I have had in the past. Also we brought our own wine and it was slightly warm when we arrived. They supposedly chilled it for an hour while we were waiting to be seated. When we arrived at our table it was sitting in a bucket of Luke warm water. We had to ask them several times to chill the wine and eventually we drank it hot! This is a constant issue in restaurants........contrary to popular belief red wine SHOULD be chilled. Will not be returning! read more

Hmmm, where do I begin? It was my wife's birthday and I wanted to spoil her during our trip to Orlando so Primo came to mind. 6pm reservations, we were escorted on a nice wrap around booth with a view of the outside. The hostess and overall staff at this location is 5 star. So good, that it would not of surprised me if they offered a foot massage to my wife during dinner. 5 stars. Let's start with my meal. I had the braised rabbit dish. Growing up with my old German heritage this course was rather abundant during my youth. OK, maybe it isn't German heritage and being a West Virginia Hillbilly, rabbit, opossum, coon, and 2 day rule road kill is considered normal, lol. Back to serious. My dish was a full 5 star! All the way around. Folks, rabbit is hit or miss. Cooking this dish properly takes practice. Rabbit can dry out very fast, in my opinion it is not the easiest thing to cook. To be honest, this was the best dish I have had in many moons, topped off with a potato in a sauce to die for. Add some Catena Malbec and I was a very happy camper. Now for my wife's, dish. Sorry but this is where the deduction of one star came into play. This is not being critical but hopefully if the Restaurant reviews Yelp they can take this as some constructive criticism. My wife had the shrimp and pasta dish. Complete with a glass of Riesling. She was loving the shrimp, cooked again to perfection. The sauce? Outstanding. The deduct? The pasta was not fully cooked nor stirred. Half of the dish was clumped together. The wine, well good but having broken cork pieces in your glass twice is not perfection. Sorry, again not trying to be rough but at $200.00 + for a two person dinner one expects no error. Of course they swarmed us with apology, topped it off with a special on the house desert from the pastry chef for my spouse! Because of the dish error and cork issue I had to deduct one star, but Primo is a restaurant to patronize. You will drop large coin, but it is a very nice place. read more

We were staying at a hotel on property, but walked over to Primo as the menu looked promising. We checked in late, we had no reservation and Primo accommodated us immediately with no down the nose glances, a plus for them in my book. We were dressed in jeans, heels, blazer (me) khakis, collared shirt (hubs) and we felt comfortable. Very good selection of wines by the bottle, and acceptable wines by the glass. Gave up on finding a half bottle. I wish they had featured wines by the glass. This is a tough one for me, hubs prefers cocktails to wine, so I often end up with a crappy glass of wine unless I want to take home 3/4 of a corked bottle. Spending a sum of money on a bottle isn't fun when it's not shared with friends. There was only one Spanish red by the glass, but it was complex and had a nice finish. I started with the tomato bisque, served with a tiny grilled cheese and some olive oil for garnish, it had a good flavor and texture and was heated to the proper temperature. I enjoyed the tilefish with grits and tasso ham served with a few shelled, head on shrimp and it was fantastic. Never, ever be afraid of head on shrimp, they give a dish a lot of flavor, and are easily removed with your fork at one fell swoop. The enire meal was delicious. Hubs enjoyed his salmon and I got to eat some of the brussels and wilted greens served with it, fresh and yummy! I love vegetables, thank you Primo for serving the teeny, tiny new brussels, not the large ungainly ones. Service was prompt without being overbearing, used silver was cleared and the placesetting reset. Hubs noted that they replaced an entire placesetting for him, although he did not have a first course, which he felt was wasteful of both economic and environmental resources. The table was not crumbed, but we weren't too crumby and I didn't hold it against my server. We were offered all courses, although not coffee. We declined dessert, but hope to have some this weekend when we return. read more

Accessibility notwithstanding, this restaurant is the cream of the fine-dining crop. Although difficult to find (there are no signs anywhere), the parking is plentiful because of the location, and the restaurant validates (otherwise, you'll shell out $16 for an hour). The first stop in the restaurant should be the bar, where you'll find little bowls of almonds spiced with garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and something not quite identifiable. Try the Dark & Stormy - a precious find, due to the rare ginger beer ingredient. The bartender will be polite and extremely attentive (albeit, she should be, since you'll be the only one at the bar). The table will be private yet not isolated nor soundproof, unless you request the hut located in the back corner of the restaurant, wherein you'll be seated in a mahogany cubicle around a table-for-four. You'll find the appetizers exquisite in taste, and plentiful in portion. The meat & cheese platter comes highly recommended. The foie grais - stuffed quail is sweet, a little spicy, and fantastically flavorful and filling; although the quail came bone-in, the goose-liver stuffed bird is easy to maneuver. At the end of the meal, if you still have room, is a range of desserts that make ordering just one a difficult decision. The pumpkin cheesecake is a practice in perfect balance. My suggestion: take a group of friends. Everyone order something different, from appetizer, entree, and dessert, and pass them around for everyone to experience one bite. If you can find the restaurant, that is. read more

Riveting, inspiring, passionate are just few of the traits which crossed through my mind while hearing Chef Melissa Kelly share her principles and beliefs regarding sustainability, slow food, and the true 'farm to table' philosophy. By the end of our dazzling meal, I for one couldn't resist racing to the nearest nursery to stock up on some fresh herb plants for my personal vegetable garden. After 15 seasons, numerous awards, recognitions, the 1st Primo at Rockland Maine has matured into what Chef Melissa Kelly calls a "Full Circle Kitchen..." the ultimate farm to table experience. And she has brought this unique and delightful experience to two other locations - JW Marriott located in Orlando and Tuscon, Arizona. 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. What is not grown at the restaurant in Orlando comes from other local and sustainable farms that Chef Melissa Kelly is proud to support such as Mr. Dale Volkert from Lake Meadow Farms. From local cage free eggs to vegetables, fruits, and herbs, Dale sources most if not all of the fine dining and local Central Florida restaurants. Chef Mariano Vegel, Chef de Cuisine at Primo, a transplant from Argentina, grew up cooking in his grandfather's pizzeria and making fresh pasta from scratch for family dinners. Today the dynamic duo bring a thrilling marriage of Mediterrean flavors to Primo's patrons at the JW Marriott, Grand Lakes. Slow Cooked & Grilled Octopus - lima beans, artichokes, calabrian pesto, ndujo sausage, smoky potato chips. When octopus is slowly simmered, it becomes delicate and tender. Finished on the grill, it imparts deeply satisfying layered flavors. Cold Smoked Tuna Tartare with tonnato sauce, confit tomatoes, mint, sesame oil, bottarga, and crispbreads. Shimmering, perfectly diced house smoked tuna, creamy tuna sauce, Mediterranean caviar - need I say more? Farmer Salad: Primo lettuces, garlicky levain croutons, house cured bacon, soft poached Whisper Creek Farm egg, white balsamic vinaigrette. House cured crunchy bacon, perfectly poached egg, lettuce from the organic garden, dressed and dusted with white balsamic vinaigrette and Parmesan Reggianno shavings - each component was in perfect harmony. I could eat it as an entire meal. We also got treated to Surplus Extra Pale Ale, flagship beer at The Brewery located here at Grande Lakes. This unique beer is brewed with the "Surplus" honey" from the farm here at Grande Lakes. The best was yet to come....Squid Ink Linguine with 'Fruitti di Mare' - calamari, jonh crab, rock shrimp, clams, charred peppers, tasso ham, pimenton crumbs. Fresh squid ink pasta, uni emulsion, mind blowing array of seafood - this gorgeous dish is a seafood lover's dream, leaving you desperate for more. And that my friends is a good thing! Saltimbocca meaning "jumping in the mouth" in Italian, is a staple at Primo and Chef Kelly's to-go comfort dish. Sautéed Scaloppine of Pork Saltimbocca: in a sage infused mushroom-madeira jus with prosciutto, spinach and roasted garlic mashed potato. An a fine finish to our decadent and fresh meal was the quintessential Italian refreshing gelatto - Caramello: caramel pate choux, caramelized hazelnut gelatto, toasted caramelized marshmallow. Playful in presentation and pure in flavors, I will bow down to a double shot espresso please. Whisper Creek Farm - a 7,000-square-foot fruit and vegetable garden with an adjoining 11,000-square-foot outdoor event space. Whisper Creek Farm boasts a chicken coop, composting area, 120 pineapple plants, eighteen seven-foot citrus trees, including tangerine, kaffir lime, and kumquat; cucumbers, acorn squash, collard greens, avocado, mango, sweet potatoes, a variety of herbs, a pumpkin patch, and much more. In addition to the vast garden, Whisper Creek hosts resident bees in three hives to help in the pollination of the flowering plants and provide more of the Grande Lakes signature nectar. Did you know you can HOST your very own party at the stunning grounds of Whisper Creek Farm? Even before you depart from Primo, you will be making reservations for your next trip. Yeah! its that good! When food is treated with the respect it so richly deserves, it becomes a way of life. Chef Kelly's emphasis on freshness, seasonality, and a menu that accommodates what is coming out of the garden on a daily basis is a full circle farm to table experience. read more

What a place! A Melissa Kelly property in the JW Marriott Grande Lakes hotel. Having read all the Yelp reviews, we were aiming for the bar to sample the olive oil-rosemary-garlic almonds. Somehow, we got the restaurant bar confused with the lobby bar, so we went to the lobby bar in error . . . the nut offerings there were uninspired. BIG FAIL on our part! I soooo want to go back for those stinkin' almonds!! Upon arrival, with a reservation, we were early. No problem. It was my birthday. EVERYBODY knew it was my birthday. Hostess. Woman who took us to our booth. Water person. Server. I'm sure the vacuum person and the janitor knew, too. Upfront there is a massive table of breads (all prepared and baked on-premises), so beautiful and flour-dusted, with a bread-man cutting and preparing baskets for the tables. Also a massive table with a carver for the charcuterie. What eye-candy walking to our booth. This place is beautifully appointed, with cubbies over the watch-the-chefs-cook area each housing a gorgeous piece of hand-blown glass . . . vases, works of art, whatever you want to call them . . . they're deliriously beautiful. Go look at the website, which doesn't do them justice: http://bit.ly/s76mm2. At the booth was a birthday card personally written: We are so honored you chose to share your special day with our Primo family! We wish you a very happy birthday! ENJOY!! The menu was personalized with "Happy Birthday, Patt." What a nice touch! The bread basket was full of three different breads served with an incredible olive oil the likes of which I've never tasted. All breads were full of flavor and toothsome/rustic wonderfulness! Just as we sat down, we got a gift from the chef: amuse bouche. A lovely mouthful of tasty deliciousness to whet our appetites! We ordered a light, fruity Reisling and two appetizers to share: duck confit and a fried mussel/calamari/shrimp combo in a cone with sauce on the side. I've NEVER had duck, and this duck confit was delicious. We got a thigh and a leg and greens that were a perfect combination of rich and snappy, along with black rice! The duck was cooked per the chef's specs, and it was lovingly medium-rare . . . just sumptuous! The fried seafood was light, airy, not grease- or oil-bogged and tasted like itself. What a wonderful dish! The sauce didn't overpower. Entrees: OK, I went for the duck, which was beautifully sauced and sliced, medium-rare to rare (I left it to the chef when the server asked how I wanted it cooked.). Dining partner got a pasta dish that he enjoyed. The pasta was lasagna-width, but it was gray. Flavorful. Filling. After entrees, out came a chef special: Happy Birthday written in chocolate on a beautiful rectangular white plate with crystalized orange peel, crystalized ginger, dark-chocolate-dipped guava and milk-chocolate-dipped some other fruit. It was beautiful. And sumptuous. An amazing finish to an amazing dinner and total experience. Thank you, Primo, for such a wonderful birthday celebration!!! read more

You're lucky--when you stay at the JW Marriott, you get not one, but TWO really genuinely great restaurants. They may be priced like hotel restaurants, but they certainly don't TASTE like typical hotel fare. I got a chance to dine at Primo recently. The reservations were booked for the night, so we decided to eat at the bar. This did not diminish the experience; the bar feels like a cozy dining space instead of a hurried service counter. They have these tasty, crispy little bread sticks that look like decor--but don't be afraid to eat them. They're tasty. The chef also sent out an amuse bouche: goat cheese with greens and mushrooms--that was incredibly tasty. I believe there was also pre-meal bread, but it wasn't terribly notable. My scallop dish was incredibly tasty. The scallops were large and cooked to perfection--but also seasoned to perfection. I've noticed that a lot of places go heavy on salting the scallops--but this is not one of them. The light cream sauce, delicate greens and pairing of truffles and other mushrooms gave the dish a robust flavor without having to rely heavily on the sodium to make up for any imbalance. For dessert: A simple berries-and-cream. It wasn't on the menu, but we asked if they had any fresh fruit dishes and they prepared this for us. It was simply exquisite--the whipped cream had hints of rich vanilla and went nicely with the martini-sized glass of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. If you're trapped at a hotel, you could do MUCH, much worse than Primo (and its cousin Citron). I'd even go there if I *didn't* have to stay within the JW. read more

Really poor quality food. Grilled florida snapper with crispy cauliflower on a bed of half mashed chickpeas - SO BLAND. The snapper was super overcooked and tough, tasted off, and wasn't so much grilled as charcoal-ed. which is exactly how it tasted: like charcoal. The cauliflower (HOW DO YOU MESS UP CAULIFLOWER?) was bland, oversized, and soggy. chickpeas were oily. The farmed salad - easily the most boring sad overpriced salad ever. Cheese was funky and not good cheesy funky. Sauce was oily with very little flavor. Lettuce was meh and bacon bits were more chunks of fatty rock jerky. read more

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2014 Pros: casual dress code, nice atmosphere Cons: meal didn't justify the price The dress code is a bit more relaxed vs. Normans over at the Ritz. Jeans with a nice shirt is fine. Saw more kids here too. You're at a resort hotel, so expect some outrageous pricing for things like salads and drinks. Waitress brought out a Smoked Grouper shooter courtesy of the chef. Yes, shooter as in a shot glass. Was savory and tasty, but I couldn't help be reminded of Dan Ackroyd's classic skit about the Bass-'o-Matic. I was disappointed with the Chicken alla Diavito. Basically grilled chicken thighs. Didn't taste like it had been brined or tenderized. Not even much gravy or sauce for the biscuits. Wife had the Blackened Grouper with Lobster. Presentation was great and she loved it. We've found that your best bet is ordering seafood dishes at the restaurants at this resort. At the end of the evening, we felt the price didn't justify the experience. Perhaps a different meal on a different night might. read more

Incredibly creative and imaginative dishes. You can sense a real passion for inventing unique flavors that continue to surprise throughout the meal. The environment is elegant yet manages to be very comfortable and relaxing. Love the open kitchen concept. It feels like you are sitting in the chefs own kitchen and he is cooking just for you. The staff is very friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable. This place is a real gem, well worth a visit whether you are staying at the JW or not. I believe they source most everything local and grow most of their own produce. The wine list has some very good, distinctive choices for diners like me who typically choose to order by the glass. From the bread, to appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts, everything had such wonderful imagination to it, it really made the entire experience delightful. read more

Really good food, but really expensive. I stayed at the JW Marriott (where the restaurant is) while traveling for work. The decor is very upscale and the waiters were very friendly and helpful. The food was definitely above average. Like many Italian spots, they gave you bread and olive oil to start. The bread was good, but the oil was fabulous. I hate when you go to a place that gives you weak dipping oil. The stuff at Primo is a very deep golden color (the first sign of a quality oil) and has a great acidic taste. Really nice. I had Linguine and Clams. It was very good (clams in the shell, not chopped up through the sauce-just FYI if you do or don't like that). Homemade linguine as well, always a plus. I'd probably give the food a solid 4. But the price, my God. The cheapest glass of wine was $12. My pasta dish? $32! and it wasn't a huge portion by any means. I was with 2 other guys, we each had 2 glasses of wine, one of the others had the linguine and clams as well and our third diner got lobster (looked like a tiny portion although he said it was good). We also split a prosciutto appetizer. the total bill before tip was like $220. It was very good, but I don't think it was good enough for the price we paid. I would probably have never eaten there if work wasn't picking up the tab. Be aware! read more

I came to Primo for the kickoff dinner of the Eat Local event in Jan. The dinner was amazing, and perfectly paired with Primo, as that restaurant makes a point of utilizing local farms and gardens for their menu. We got to tour the herb and vegetable garden located on the grounds of the JW Marriot. Before each meal, a representative from the grower\farmer spoke about their operation followed by a run down from Chef Kelly about how they used the ingredients for each dish. It was an amazing event, and the food... the FOOD was DELICIOUS! My favorite dish of the night came from locally caught shrimp over artichoke and white bean filled agnolotti. It was heavenly. I really can't wait to come back to Primo to try items from their regular menu! For more info on the dinner and pictures, check out my blog post http://burgersandbarolo.blogspot.com/ read more

Wow. The ambiance and service are impeccable. And the food is delicious! Such a wonderful win-win situation! The premise of this restaurant is that they serve organically, freshly grown vegetables from their garden right on the property of the resort! We were seated in a cozy booth and ordered drinks. A complimentary appetizer came along with our order of the grilled assortment seafood appetizer. I immensely dislike it when seafood is over cooked BUT Primo grilled their seafood to perfection. For entrees, my boyfriend had the duck. The meat was succulent and savory. The portion was just enough to be comfortably full (so he says!). I had the lamb which was cooked to my liking. It was not a lamb chop - they were served in medallions. And the service was amazing. Without even asking, we had our soft drinks refilled (yes, soft drinks bc we gave up alcohol for Lent!) and our were plates cleared very inconspicuously. Too full for dessert, we were given a complimentary 'sweet plate' with a pair of chocolate covered hazelnuts, jellied lemon rinds, and 2 other sweet treats that escape my memory. A fun side note: there was a decorative red meat cutter on the floor and they actually used it to slice prosciutto - just a cute touch. read more

Yum! We visited Primo for a company dinner, and we were not disappointed! The mussels were fresh with tasty broth. I ordered the arugula fettuccine for my entree and loved it. It was very rich without being "heavy". My colleagues enjoyed their meals as well. (I believe many of them ordered the duck and a few ordered the steak.) The lowlights of the night were the s'more desserts and mojitos. My group really disliked the s'more dish, and we were later told that it's being taken off the menu due to poor reviews. (This would have been nice to know earlier, right?) The mojitos were inconsistently made and a little too sweet at times. I really like how intimate the space felt while still accommodating large groups. The prices are a bit steep, and if you're a "true" foodie you might not fall in love, but it's a nice place for a treat. read more