Primo at JW Marriot

[Tonyy13]

Well, I made it to Primo the other night, and I must say, I recieved exactly what I expected, which is a good thing. We had an awesome meal, and the setting was just right. The food was good, and the service was definately acceptable, not perfect, but acceptable, and I had a great time. I did, however, go to dinner with some big name chefs from Orlando too, so that didn't hurt either. Here we go, my honest opinions....

Primi

Funghi & Salsiccia Pizza ~ wild mushrooms, housemade italian sausage, dandelion greens and crecenza 12

Local Tomatoes with fresh buffala mozzarella and herb salad 11

Roasted Bosc Pear and Endive Salad with Bayley HJazen Blue Cheese, white truffle honey an daged balsamico 10

Zuppa del Giorno ~ whim of the chef 8

Maine Jonah Crab Cakes with a shaved fennel~citrus salad and a a caper aioli 14

Grilled Octopus with a salad of marble potatoes, baby green beans, preserved lemon, tossed in a pesto vinaigrette 11

Beau Soleil Oysters ion the half shell with Meyer Lemon Mignonette 14

Organic Baby Beets and LIl Gem, pistaciho crusted goat cheese "truffles" with dried Cherry vinaigrette 10

Antipasti... Changes daily, preced accordingly

Piccolo Fritto ~ Smelts, calamari and Grouper in a light fry with harissa aioli 13

Hammock Hollow Seasonal Lettuces, barrel aged red wine vinaigrette 8

Pasta

Maine Lobster with three peas... pea pansoti, sweet peas, pea tendrils and buttery basil sauce 36

Jamison Farm Lam Bolognesee tossed herbed pappardelle, broccoli rapini, blistered tomatoes ande Parmigiano 23

Spaghetti Nero with fresh calamari all' Arrabbiatta tossed in a spicy tomato ragu with chiles and fresh spinach  21

Handmade Spinach Linguini "Vongole" ~ Littleneck clams, our own reen garlic, young asparagus and shaved pecorino 24

Handrolled Sheep's MIlk Ricotta Cavatelli with hot Italian Sausage, roasetd tomatoes, rapini and herbs 20

Pesce

Pan Roasted Local Grouper with Maine Sweet Shrimp risotto, baby spinach and a lobster sauce 27

Sauteed Wild Black Bass in Bouridda on a bed of white winter roots, greens and stemed Bouchot mussels 28

"Tonnato Pepato" Pepper crusted Yuellowfin Tuna with Sicilian eggplant caponata, chick pea fries and petite greens 26

Carne

Scaloppine of Niman Ranch Pork Saltimbocca in a sage infused mushroom~madiera jus with proscuitto and roast garlic mash 24

Grilled Long Island Duck Breast with kabocha squash, greens and potato gnocchi in a sage walnut pesto 26

Chicken alla milanese... Crisp rosemary and lemon breaded chicken scaloppine served on a bed of cannellini beans and rapini 21

"Bistecca alla Florentina" ... Char grilled NY Strip Steak on a bed of fiddlehead ferns, greens and salsa verde 36

Contorni  7

Sicilian egplant caponata

Sauteed Greens aglio e olio

aPanelle, herbed chick pea fries... puttanesca sauce

Greens and Beans~  with hot Italiian Sausage and tomato

Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mixed Grill of seasonal vegetables

Before we recieved our first course, we recieved two pizza's, and some of the oysters. They were awesome. I forget what was on the pizza, they weren't the ones on the menu, but it was done very well. The oysters were not what I was expecting, but I would eat northern oysters anyway.

First Course (Me and one of the other chefs shared everythign we ordered, I am a glutton, but not this bad...)

Oyster w/ Meyer Lemon Mignonette

Maine Jonah Crab Cakes

Foie Gras Special that was verbalized

The oysters were better than the ones that were sent out, even though they were supposedly the same thing. They were seasoned, and not flat like the ones before.

The crab cakes smelled up the whole restaurant, from the time that you walked into the place. When they came to the table, they tasted like the dining room smelled, like they were on their way out. Only average, I was dissapointed. I was hoping it was the calamari that was bad, cause I didn't order any of that.

Foie Gras is always good, and this was done well. A very generous portion, I was very happy with, and nicely seared. The quality of the foie was nicer than anything I have seen at the school, which leads me to believe that she is getting it in from up north, flown overnight perhaps.

Second Course

Handrolled Sheep's Mlik Ricotta Cavatelli- This was a good dish, nicer than anything I have had in Orlando, but still not outstanding. In the dish splitting, they did not give me any sausage in my poriton. The wine was flowing, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

Third Course

Sauteed Wild Black Bass- This was good, but would have been better if the skin on my fish would have been crispy. The mussels were very good, I got to consume my partners as he doesn't like mussels, and I enjoyed everyone of them. The sauce seemed like a hot-mayonnaise sauce though, maybe not the right thing for this dish.

Fourth Course

Long Island Duck- This was good, par for the course. Nothing special, nothing so bad it deserves mention.

Fourth Course

Cheese: The server didn't tell us what they were when she dropped it!!!!!!! They were good though, but the one at K was better...

Fifth Course Course

I had a chocolate molten like cake with chocolate ice cream, which was good, but again, par for the course. The chocolate ice cream didn't taste like much, and I was afraid to order this becuase I am ho-hum about molten cakes to begin with, but nothign else struck my fancey, and I wasn't footing the bill...so I had to order!! Anyway, overall, a very good night, regardless of the crab smell, and the table in the middle of the expo line!!

Edited March 21, 2005 by Tonyy13 (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

The menu alone makes me want to revisit Orlando soon! Tony, what items did you order? Or did you simply try the entire menu in your enthusiasm?

[Bill_H]

Thought I'd link back to my review from last month as it had fallen off the front page.... in case anyone is interested!

Primo dining report

[Tonyy13]

Sorry Bill, didn't mean to step on your thread...my bad...

[Bill_H]

Sorry Bill, didn't mean to step on your thread...my bad...

←

Oh, no worries! I was glad to read your opinions (as always). Just wanted to bring my thoughts up with yours as an additional opinion to someone who may have missed mine before they fell off the first page.

Perhaps I should apologize for piggybacking onto your thread

[ulterior epicure]

Has anyone been to Primo lately?