A Maine Dining Experience so Exceptional, It’s Nationally Recognized

Maine's dining scene is very well-known. After all, it's one of the best seafood spots in the world. No matter where you turn, you'll find an amazing seafood shack or fine restaurant. Rockland, a beautiful town of under 7,000 people, is even known as the lobster capital of the world. However, I don't think it receives enough recognition for its diverse and innovative dining scene. Rockland is also home to one of the most acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants in the country.

Primo Restaurant in Rockland began as a small Italian eatery and has evolved into a large, innovative farmhouse-style restaurant that celebrates the bounty of produce and the unique joys of nose-to-tail cooking. Under the ambitious guidance of Chef Melissa Kelly, it's unquestionably top of the heap for farm-to-table cooking in Maine. And it looks like Kelly and her team are just getting started.

Primo Restaurant has come a very long way since it debuted as a three-person operation, and it's now one of the hottest tickets in Maine. The restaurant celebrates local produce and meat, specializing in both farm-to-table and nose-to-tail cooking.

Primo is one of the most luxurious restaurants in Maine, but it's also wonderfully rustic. It feels like settling down to dinner in a friend's farmhouse, and your friend is an incredible cook. The restaurant offers a nightly à la carte menu, as well as several special menus and a casual outdoor counter-service offering on Sundays.

It's also one of the most innovative kitchens in Maine, serving proteins you might not see too often, including a delicious chicken-fried quail, which comes with local greens and a buttermilk-chive dressing. Or how about house-made porcini tagliatelle with seared scallops? These are just a couple of the inventive dishes you can look forward to trying.

There's a pig on the logo, so it's no surprise that pork is the starring attraction. It's at the center of the kitchen's nose-to-tail ethos, and if you see pork belly on the menu in any form, it's one of the most recommended specialties.

The desserts get just as much care and attention, including this delicious sour cherry clafoutis topped with house-made vanilla gelato. Is it any surprise Primo Restaurant is often talked about as a candidate for Maine's first Michelin star? Here's one recent rave review that seems to summarize what makes this place so special:

"Totally worth the road trip we made from Portland. We arrived early to check out their farm. They have a few acres right next to the restaurant, with farm animals and garden beds full of vegetables. They are a full circle kitchen and farm-to-table restaurant. The chef is a two-time James Beard award winner and we loved this meal! The pastas especially are so well done."

Primo is open Thursdays through Sundays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Have you dined at this fantastic farm-to-table restaurant in Maine? If not, tell a friend about this article and make a reservation! You can see details about the current menu on the Primo Restaurant website. While you're in Rockland, don't miss out on taking a hike around the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. And if this is a multi-day excursion for you, the Rockland Harbor Hotel is an affordable choice with some stunning views.

Feeling inspired? Try planning your own trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.