The newest addition to the East Market Street renaissance, Primo, could stand to further invigorate its rustic Italian menu.
by Stephen Hacker
Bim Deitrich has a long and illustrious history of bringing smart, comfortable restaurants to Louisville’s neighborhoods, most notably Myra’s, Deitrich’s and Allo Spiedo. To me, all these stars from the past — even Deitrich’s, with its theatrical tiered dining areas encircling an open kitchen — shared a casual, intimate and individualized feel. The restaurateur’s new downtown venture, however, strikes me as having sacrificed neighborliness for a kind of generic “big city” glitz.
Occupying a corner of the old Schiller’s Hardware building, now the Cobalt Marketplace, Primo is spacious and lively, with room for a couple dozen tables, banquettes and booths along with a bar area in its own niche along the building’s Market Street side. The layout puts the open kitchen at the far /files/storyimages/of the restaurant, effectively eliminating it (and its wood-burning oven) as a focal point. And while I suppose the designers were going for “sophisticated Italian bistro,” the glazed white-brick tile and industrial-looking carpet reminded me more — despite bustling mealtime crowds — of a bus station diner.
My meals at Primo didn’t all get off to a great start. I used to love a salad at Deitrich’s that featured a wonderful combination of Bibb lettuce, blue cheese and candied pecans. So I was disappointed during three recent visits with what seemed to me to be Primo’s “fresh-from-the-’fridge” salads. On paper, they certainly seem like good ideas, including one with mango and prosciutto ($9). And while the greens were fresh and the plates pretty, the salads were always too cold — leaving me with just a hint of mango and prosciutto, or tasting only lemon juice on an attractive Caesar salad ($7), or experiencing predominantly salt from the feta wedges on my Amalfi ($8). (You may want to ask your server to take the salad out of the cooler while you enjoy a pre-meal drink.)
The Pollo al Forno (roasted chicken, $19) also was disappointing. While juicy, the chicken lacked any taste except salt — an affliction extending to the potato gratin on the side. Calamari Fritti ($8) was crispy with cornmeal batter, but exceedingly bland (and the aioli alongside didn’t add much more flavor). A bowl of Zuppa di Fagioli (a Tuscan bean soup, $6) had nice, firm beans and tender escarole, but would have been helped by more garlic and Parmesan than the tiny topping on a crouton floating in the center.
This isn’t to say there aren’t some signs of life and zest among the items at Primo, including pizzas, a burger, and the wait staff. Even during my most crowded visit (a Saturday night that included a 40-minute wait for a table) the servers were attentive and filled with good humor. They were happy to explain the night’s specials, even when they’d already sold out of them (which happened on that busy Saturday night and at a late lunch), and were more than glad to offer advice to me, an Italian-wine-impaired descendant of Italians. (The menu offers color-coded keys to Italy’s wine regions and plenty of wines by the glass, including a decent Chianti
for $9.)
The pizzas (seemingly transported as a group from Allo Spiedo) were uniformly good. The restaurant’s large wood-burning oven produces perfectly baked thin crusts, and the pies are just the right size for a bit of sharing (or for one particularly hungry diner). Combinations of note include one of my favorites, the Toscana ($12), with wild mushrooms, cubes of pancetta and mild fennel with mozzarella. I also enjoyed the zesty Radda ($12), featuring Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and basil with a spicy tomato sauce.
But to me, the standout dish at Primo is the Allo burger ($8), a plump and juicy patty of veal mixed with roasted red pepper and Gorgonzola cheese. I asked for it cooked to the chef’s liking (medium-rare) and was graced with a pink-centered yet crusted burger nestled between a sliced round of herbed foccacia bread. It’s one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long while — the meat and cheese combination didn’t need any condiments; its own juice and flavor providing more than enough oomph. Accompanied by a sprightly mix of sweet/dill pickles and salad greens, the Allo burger was sublime. This highlight was followed by a delightfully gooey pear and ricotta fritter ($7), a pastry-like concoction with cinnamon-dusted batter encasing sweet pears and molten, sweet ricotta cheese.
In this era of overcooked meats served by the overly cautious, I was extremely happy that the Primo kitchen isn’t afraid to put out a pink burger — and I hope that the chefs take this bold stance to the rest of the menu. With a few more surprises and taste upgrades, this Bim Deitrich restaurant could be a showcase for Louisville’s urban revitalization.
If You Go
PRIMO, 445 E. Market St, 583-1808. Open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner Monday-Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-11 p.m.
