Primo Restaurant is a chef-owned place by Melissa Kelly who was the 2013 James Beard Foundation Award winner of the American Express Best Chef, Northeast.  She also won this award in 1999 making her the first 2 time winner of the same award.  It started as a small venture with one greenhouse and one acre of gardens to 2 greenhouses, 60 staff and 3 acres of gardens as well as chickens and pigs. It is a huge place with a 2 story house being the main eating area with a roaming parking lot to the side that goes up by other buildings and gardens.  It was dark and rainy the night we went so it was hard to tell what was what.  There were tables on the porch around the large house but the weather did not allow these to be seated.  Some rooms had white tablecloths and others bare wood.  We were seated in a small room upstairs with old wood floors and bench seating around the walls and small tables.  Art for sale was on the walls and I saw 2 bars upstairs.  The server told us the place was named for the chef’s grandfather when he had a brief moment to chat.  The menu changes daily and yet specials were verbally delivered by the server.  The food was good, the ambiance a bit hectic and my overall impression was once was enough. Continue reading →