Eat Tucson

Primo

Cooking with local, fresh products in mind makes sense to co-owner and executive chef Melissa Kelly for a lot of reasons. It's how she grew up, she notes, it keeps money in the local economy, and you can't beat the freshness. "You cannot compare the quality," she says, dressed in all black and seated just outside Primo at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa. "If I was to buy stuff that was shipped in, there's no shelf life."

Kelly, who has two other Primo restaurants—in Rockland, Maine, and Orlando—opened the Tucson location about four years ago, and it took time to identify local sources. "It's kind of about networking," she says, adding that, when she's in Tucson, she is a regular at the Tucson Farmers Market at St. Philips Plaza. (Chef Eric Larcom carries on the sustainable mission year-round.) She now works with 11 farms from around the state, and is always looking for more.