Prima

Reviews

Solomon S.

03/07/2018

Overall

Atmosphere

Food

Service

I went here for my birthday with high expectations and Prima did not not disappoint at all. Would love to come back again.

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Details

Phone: (925) 935-7780

Address: 1522 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Website: http://www.primawine.com

More Info

General Info

When Michael and Janet Verlander rented the shoebox-sized storefront at 1522 North Main Street in Walnut Creek in May of 1977, they had no idea that 38 years later, it would have become the East Bays premier wine and food destination. It started as a deli with a cheese counter, a hot plate and a few racks of wine. But these were dynamic times, and Michael, driven by a passion for wine, quickly forged close relationships with some of Californias newest and best names in the wine business. Duckhorn, Silver Oak, Kistler and Au Bon Climat, for example, all sold their first vintages at Walnut Creek Wine & Cheese. Michael still tells of talking Dan Duckhorn out of 14 cases of his first vintage of Three Palms Merlot and selling it for the princely sum of $14 per bottle!Everything changed when the Verlanders, while taking a rare vacation in Italy in the late eighties, had an epiphany while dining at Ristorante Belvedere atop La Morra hill in Barolo. They were so taken by it all that they decided to import their Piemontese experience to Walnut Creek. Walnut Creek Wine & Cheese became successively Prima Caf, Prima Trattoria e Negozio di Vini, and finally PRIMA. With the change came expansion. The shoebox doubled in size with the addition of what is now the Caminetto fireplace dining room.When I started at PRIMA as Wine Director in the spring of 1994, what is now our wood-burning oven and Enoteca dining room was a sushi bar, and the space now occupied by PRIMA Vini, our wine shop, was another restaurant. Things grew quickly as both the restaurant and wine stores reputation spread. Then in 1999, the Verlanders recruited Chef Peter Chastain to run the kitchen, further cementing the restaurants place as one of the East Baystop wining and dining destinations.Chef Peter and I purchased PRIMA from the Verlanders in 2005, and have since made it our mission to not only preserve the original Italian sensibility that drove the business metamorphosis, but to enhance it, making subtle refinements to the menu, the appearance of the dining space, and to a wine list that now numbers over 1300 selections, with a particular focus on the Italian wine that best suit our cuisine.These days PRIMA is hitting on all cylinders. Under the guidance of outstanding General Manager Jordana Arey and Chef Peters unwavering focus on only the best organic seasonal ingredients, PRIMA has elevated the dining experience to one of the best in the Bay Area; while PRIMA Vini, with its friendly, professional and experienced staff, is known not only as Walnut Creeks most respected source for the worlds rarest and most exciting wines, but also as an internet retailer of national repute

Extra Phones

Fax: (925) 935-7955

Payment method

amex, master card, visa, discover, cash, diners club, all major credit cards, debit, check

Price Range

$$$

Neighborhood

Downtown Walnut Creek

AKA

Prima Restaurant

Prima Ristorante

Other Links

http://www.primawine.com

http://primaristorante.com

https://www.primawine.com

Categories

Italian Restaurants, Bars, Caterers, Restaurants, Take Out Restaurants, Wine

Other Information

Parking: Street, Validated, Valet

Wi-Fi: Free

Bike Parking: No

Good For Groups: Yes

Good for Kids: No

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Take Out: Yes

Cuisines: Caterers, Take Out, Italian, European, Continental

Alcohol: Full Bar, Wine

Takes Reservations: Yes

Outdoor Seating: Yes