We’re just beginning our 14th Season in Rockland, Maine and we’re excited to share our truly farm-to-table experience! We opened for the season last Friday, May 10th, and are happy to be back, bringing fresh local cuisine to our old friends and meeting new ones. The season has started off in a whirlwind with our chef, Melissa Kelly, winning the 2013 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast! 
The opening preparations truly involved the entire Primo team. With as many ingredients as possible coming from the Primo Farm, work began early this spring. The Primo Farm consists of about 4 acres of gardens and is home to our ducks, layer and broiler chickens, guinea hens, honey bees, and 10 pigs (our lovely Large Black/Red Wattle crosses are arriving Sunday!). We grow seasonal vegetables, flowers, and herbs in the gardens, as well as raspberries and grapes.
Our wee Freedom Rangers 
The season was kicked off with our annual garden day, where the entire Primo family joined in to get the grounds looking spiffy! We all enjoyed a healthy bout of weeding and were thankful for nice weather and good company.
Even the chickens were helpful!
The magic has already started in the kitchen and it begins with the freshest ingredients. Among the local goodness, has been Halibut, wild garlic, ramps, fiddleheads, and sedum (used as a salad green). It is always exciting to have fresh wild ingredients such as the ramps and wild sedum that come to us from Jamie Waines, who forages locally. For those who aren’t familiar with spring in Maine, it can often be summarized as wet, muggy, and buggy! The first quail of the season will be arriving today from Turner, Maine. Quail eggs will be making their debut on tonight’s menu, paired with Pork Belly from Bean’s Corner Farm in Montville, Maine.
Local Halibut
The restaurant has also undergone a mini face-lift over the winter and we’re excited to have more space in our counter room as well as a new tap system in our bar! The bar now offers 10 beers on tap, including Allagash White, Peak Organic Summer Session, Bug Lager, and Downeast Cider, which are all made in Maine.
Shiny new taps!
We welcome you to join us here in the blogosphere, throughout the season, to follow all of the unique happenings at Primo!