ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Two-time
James Beard Award-winning Chef
Melissa Kelly is set to re-open her
redesigned second outpost of highly acclaimed Primo Restaurant,
focusing on Mediterranean Italian at JW Marriott Orlando,
Grande Lakes this fall. The
Orlando location of Primo mirrors
Chef Kelly's philosophy adopted at the Rockland, Maine location, nothing is wasted
– everything has a place and through the Grande Lakes Orlando
on premise 7,000 square-foot farm, Chef Kelly has access to the
resort's local fruits, vegetables and herbs garden.
"It is an honor for JW Marriott to partner with Melissa Kelly since 2003 when Grande Lakes
Orlando opened. Melissa started farm-to-table before it became a
trend, her vision inspired us to build Whisper Creek Farm to enable
us to infuse the highest quality ingredients into our dishes. We
are thrilled to unveil the new rustic Mediterranean décor."
Jon McGavin, Area General
Manager
The inspired menu will heavily focus on the farm-to-table
experience with seasonal highlights including produce, honey and
eggs sourced from on premise Primo
Garden and Whisper Creek Farm in addition to Mick's Farm and
Frog Song Organics in the local community. All seafood is also
locally sourced from Florida
waters, including clams from Cedar
Key, white shrimp and squid from Cape Canaveral, and Snapper, grouper and other
seasonal catch from Ponce Inlet.
Mountain Trail Farm in Clermont,
FL provides Primo with whole pigs, which are prepared
several different ways. Primo also has a long-standing relationship
with Lake Meadows Naturals in Ocoee,
FL for chicken and ducks.
The beverage program was a collaborative effort, using
Melissa Kelly's philosophy and
Primo Maine's wine list as
inspiration while utilizing ingredients from the resort's gardens
and farm as well as locally-sourced ingredients for a unique
crafted experience. The Primo pastry team in collaboration with the
pastry team in Primo Maine and the
resort's pastry chefs oversee the pastry program.
The 215-seat dining room is complete with a 50-seat terrace
conceptualized by New York City
based interior design and branding studio, Dutch East Design, which
has taken on the redesign of the Orlando restaurant and brought forward a
completely new layout. The overarching design narrative celebrates
Chef Kelly's Puglian heritage and combines sensibilities within the
space. The design brings forth Chef Kelly's notion of being
stewards of the land reinforcing the
interconnectedness with what nature offers. Puglia's
textural and tonal architecture is the inspiration for the
interiors of Primo. The arrival and bar lounge pays homage to an
archetypal Italian courtyard with sweeping archways, decorative
screens, and furnishings all within a tone appropriate for an al
fresco experience. The palette is influenced by a rustic and
handmade quality - a mix of aged copper, tumbled limestone,
handmade ceramic tile, terra cotta and troweled plaster creating a
sublime tactile experience. The private dining room is nestled
in the back of the restaurant and connected by custom arched
metal/ribbed glass arched doors.
The bar counter has a glazed brick front and copper top; with a
Cle terra cotta tile backdrop and arched niche for the chef counter
which gives guests a direct connection with the display and working
kitchen. The layout creates a series of dining salons and each is
framed with a soft archway and brick threshold and all with grand
ceiling heights. Dutch East Design custom designed collections for
lighting, seating, screens and case goods all detailed in finishes
such as etched ceramic and caning, which allude to the
quintessential Italian palette. The terrace is also a celebrated
component with a new trellis, drink rails, herb planter boxes and
flowering plants cascading overhead all finished in a deep sea blue
palette to counterpoint the interior muted palette.
Primo was named one of the top 22 new restaurants of 2000, by
Esquire Magazine and has been featured in Gourmet, Wine
Spectator, Art Culinaire, Travel + Leisure, Oprah Magazine and
many more. Melissa was honored with the 2002 "Golden Whisk" Award
from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs for women who demonstrate
excellence in the kitchen.
Primo is open September 23, 2021.
Reservations are available September 24,
2021. For more information, please visit
JWGrandeLakes.com
For media requests, contact Baltz & Co: Autumn Lewis / alewis@baltzco.com
About Grande Lakes Orlando
The 500-acre Grande Lakes
Orlando estate features a 582-room Ritz-Carlton and 1,000-room JW
Marriott hotel situated at the headwaters of the Florida
Everglades. Guests at both hotels can enjoy all the facilities and
services at Grande Lakes Orlando, including an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course
and the 40,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton Spa as well as three pools
including the winding lazy river at JW Marriott and the new
AquaCourse 360 interactive water feature. Experience a wealth of
dining options throughout Grande Lakes Orlando, where the cuisine
is as diverse as the resort. Twelve outlets to choose from
featuring a steak and seafood restaurant, Knife & Spoon led by
award-winning chef John Tesar and
southern-inspired cuisine at Highball & Harvest. The resort
sources ingredients from its on-site apiaries and
18,000-square-foot Whisper Creek Farm.
On-property activities include Grande Lakes Sports Experiences
offering kayaking, eco-tours on Shingle Creek, falconry, mountain
biking and fishing school. Conference and meeting attendees have
their pick of a selection of meeting space options located across
150,000 square feet that connects the two properties plus more than
100,000 square feet of outdoor space.
Grande Lakes is located 15
minutes from the Orlando
International Airport, five minutes from the Orange County Convention Center and minutes
from the major theme parks. Follow Grande Lakes Orlando on Twitter
at @RC_Orlando and @JW_Orlando, Instagram @ritzcarltonorlando and
jwmorlando and Facebook ritzcarltonorlando and jwmarriottorlando.
For more information about Grande Lakes Orlando, visit
www.grandelakes.com.
About JW Marriott
JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio of
brands and consists of beautiful properties and distinctive resort
locations around the world. The impressive array of award-winning
hotels caters to sophisticated, mindful travelers seeking The
JW Treatment™ – the brand's philosophy that true luxury is created
by people who are passionate about what they do. These experiences
help guests to be fully present, foster connections and feed the
soul. Inspired by the principles of mindfulness, JW Marriott
is a haven designed to allow guests to focus on feeling whole –
present in mind, nourished in body, and revitalized in spirit –
through programs and offerings that encourage them to come
together, act with intention and experience every moment to the
fullest. Today there are over 80 JW Marriott hotels in more than 25
countries and territories. Visit JW
Marriott online, and
on Instagram and Facebook. JW Marriott is proud to
participate in Marriott Bonvoy™, the new name of Marriott's travel
program replacing Marriott Rewards®, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®,
and Starwood Preferred Guest®(SPG). The program offers members
an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on
Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning
points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status
recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the
program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com.
About Dutch East Design
New
York-based Dutch East Design was founded by design
visionaries Dieter Cartwright,
Larah Moravek and William Oberlin, who together bring 30 years of
experience in interior design and branding services for hospitality
and retail brands. The team is renowned for its multidisciplinary
process for each project: By understanding and building
visual brand identities, Dutch East Design is able to create a more
thoughtful product throughout each design phase -- working
collaboratively with owners and operators to bring their unique
expressions to life. For more information, visit
DutchEastDesign.com.
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SOURCE Grande Lakes Orlando