Primo

JW Marriott Starr Pass Tucson Resort & Spa
3800 W Starr Pass Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85745
(520) 792-6071
primo.jwmarriottstarrpass.com/

Parking: $10 Valet at the Hotel or Self-Guest Parking (follow Servance Entrance road)
Days: Tuesday-Sunday
Times: 5:30-6:30pm
Drink Deals: $5 Specialty Cocktails and Well Drinks; $4 Draft Beers
Food Deals: $5 Select Bar Food Items

Nestled into the mountains on the West side of Tucson sits the fancy Starr Pass Marriott resort, built to house wedding parties, conventions, and students’ and snow-birds’ visiting families. Come Memorial Day weekend when those with the means to get out of hot Tucson are gone, the remaining locals will find excellent deals at local hotels like this.

We had the same idea as quite a few other folks – hauling our bums to spend an afternoon in the cool pools and Lazy Rivers (a slight misnomer due to the high winds you had to contend with to make it around said Lazy River) of the Starr Pass Marriott. Of course, being on a Happy Hour Tour, you are always on the lookout for a good Happy Hour time, which we happily found at Starr Pass’ Primo restaurant.

Sufficiently sun-burned, our happy gang of AP and her husband, MP, her bro, Nate-Dogg, and our friend, MF-er (close to her real name :) headed down to Primo to meet up with our high school valedictorian friend and his fiancée over a fun Happy Hour meal.

The Happy Hour at Primo is short – only 5:30-6:30pm, but it offers tasty $5 cocktails and well drinks that normally go for $10 – so we made sure to be there early. Drink early and often. The food deals aren’t as great – Primo offers a couple different $5 options from their light bites menu; the rest of those options still cost anywhere from $7-20. Still – those prices seem a little better for a big group since you get to sample more options!

Copperhead Pale Ale & Piatti Margarita; Blood Orange Martini & Berry Lemonade

For drinks, we tried the:
• Blood Orange Martini – Vodka Shaken w/ Blood Orange Puree, Triple Sec, and Cranberry Juice
• Piatti Margarita – Tequila & Triple Sec w/ fresh-made Sweet & Sour
• Gin-Thyme – Gin w/ Thyme & Citrus, mixed with Club Soda, and a splash of Celery Bitters (my favorite – a strange, but nice blend of savory and refreshing)
• Berry Lemonade – Citrus Vodka & Strawberry Puree with fresh-squeezed Lemonade • Full Sail Amber Draft - $4
• Barrio Coppherhead Pale Ale Draft - $4
And for food, we had the:

Fried Olives – Lightly Breaded and stuffed with their own house Italian Sausage - $5 ($9 normally)

Grape Leaves – Stuffed with Black Mesa Ranch goat cheese and herbs - $14


Carciofi Alla Giudea – Fried Artichokes, Lemon, Parmesan, and Garlic & Aioli - $11

Fritto Misto – Mixed Fry of Calamari, Shrimp, & Vegetables - $5 Special ($14 normally)

Summer Squash Pizza w/ Ricotta - $15


Gnocco Fritto (Fried Gnocci) – Tossed in Garlic w/ Parmesan and garlic, served with Pomodoro Sauce) - $7

All the food was excellent and I really loved having the variety of items to choose from. One of my favorite bites was the Fried Artichokes, but they didn’t seem too popular with the rest of the group. More for me (though really, you can only eat so many Fried Artichokes!). I also loved the pizza and its creamy Ricotta cheese!

The general vibe of Primo is upscale hotel dining, but it was still cozy enough to have a variety of seating options, including our high-top table that accommodated our party of 7 and the mounds of food & beverage we consumed! Like most Hotel bars/restaurants, it seems like deals may change often – so head on over soon!

--JB

Rating: 3 Martinis (4 Martinis if you’re an actual guest and have easy access to the restaurant!)