Primo

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Chef at the Center

Two-time James Beard Award-winning Chef Melissa Kelly is the force behind Primo. She grew up on Long Island, spending her childhood in her Italian grandmother's kitchen, absorbing the traditions of Southern Italy's Puglian heritage — and that upbringing never left her. Named one of the most promising chefs of the 1990s by Food & Wine Magazine and covered by the New York Times, Bon Appétit, and T+L, she has led Primo at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes since the property opened in 2003. Her philosophy — simplicity, seasonality, freshness — predates the farm-to-table trend she helped define.

Rooted in the Land

The menu draws directly from a network of local and on-site producers. The Primo Organic Garden and Whisper Creek Farm supply seasonal produce. Cedar Key clams, shrimp, and catches from Ponce Inlet bring Florida's coastal waters to the table. Mountain Trail Farm in Clermont provides whole pigs; Lake Meadows Naturals in Ocoee supplies chicken and duck. The result is Italian and Mediterranean cooking that is genuinely tied to its place — not imported atmosphere, but ingredients that arrive with a traceable story.

The pork saltimbocca is cited as the restaurant's bestseller, and the broader menu spans seafood, prime cuts, and desserts, with dedicated options for vegetarians and vegans drawing from the same organic harvest.

The Room and the Recognition

The dining room carries a rustic Mediterranean aesthetic that reflects Chef Kelly's belief in being stewards of the land. The wine program has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and Primo has held a Recommended listing in the MICHELIN Guide Florida since its inaugural 2022 edition — recognition that places it firmly among the serious Italian restaurants in Orlando.

Guests consistently point to the warmth of service alongside the quality of the food. One regular described it as "my favorite restaurant in Florida and in my top 10 in North America." Another noted that the staff's knowledge of the sourcing — what's grown on-site, what's local — adds a layer to the meal that goes beyond what's on the plate.