From the Community Paper September 2024 edition
Orlando’s Chef Jason Campbell has been working in some of Central Florida’s best kitchens over the years – most notably bringing to Orlando the notorious house-made bowling alley hot dog. By the way – if you haven’t tried the hot dog or smash burger at Primrose Lanes yet, they’re a must! We spoke with Chef Campbell via e-mail to get more insight about his culinary inspiration and also find out about his new project in Thornton Park.
Tell us about your background – how did you get inspired to become a chef?
I’m actually born and raised in Orlando, I can say one of my earliest memories in cooking was helping my mom and grandfather make potato pancakes,I got to press the button to shred the potatoes in the food processor lol. cooking And family gatherings were big in my family so food was always there and I was always in the kitchen trying to learn something and help wherever I could, my mom always had cooking shows on when I was a kid and I loved watching and learning.
A few years after high school I went to culinary school and never looked back, I worked through some kitchens in town but I really cut my teeth at The Ravenous Pig and grew there from a fry cook to sous chef, and helped open the original Cask and Larder as a sous chef and then Chef De Cuisine when i left in late 2014. my wife and I traveled to Cincinnati where I worked with the 21c hotel group where i was Chef De Cuisine and then got my opportunity to be the Executive Chef for the property in Oklahoma City in 2016 to 2019 when I got the opportunity to come back home to be the Executive Chef at Luke’s kitchen and had a wonderful and amazing time there until I joined the team at TMG!
How is everything at Primrose Lanes as executive chef? What are some changes that have occurred and what is coming up for the restaurant?
Everything at Primrose has been great, we just hit our one year anniversary! Very proud of what we have done and proud of our team, with growing comes changes so we did a few menu changes throughout the year. I’ve learned that a venue will tell you what it needs and most of the most important rolls of a chef is adaptability, we loved our seafood program but it just didn’t catch on so we made the flex to remove it and replace it with some heavy hitters.
What are some of the most popular dishes right now at Primrose Lanes?
Some of the most popular dishes at the lanes are the smash burger, the infamous hot dog, the alley platter it’s great for sharing with groups, the hand breaded motz sticks!
Tell us about the new upcoming concept June in Thornton Park – what is the inspiration behind it? What can guests expect when they come? Any dishes that will be on the menu?
We’re super excited for the June concept! We will be focusing on the Yucatan region of Mexico, the foundation will be Mexican roots with subtle yet exciting Asian influences. You can expect bold yet vibrant flavors with elements of smoke, texture, freshness and quality, lots of sharable items and some larger format plates for the table. You will see fresh crudos and ceviche, grilled meats, seafood and focus on vegetables and a lighter and healthier approaches as this region is known for. We will highlight culture, techniques and traditions with our twist to create a laid back environment and relaxed vibes to enjoy tasty food and cocktails with friends and family.
What are some of your favorite meals around town right now?
Oh man, some of my favorite meals in town, gotta be King Cajun, and I love anything hot pot and grill your own meats related, it’s like a “choose your own adventure”! Bakery 1908 is a great spot as well, gotta get my wing fix at Devaney’s Sports pub by UCF-get the devil’s backbone sauce on the side, can’t beat Doughboyz Pizza, John and John’s, and Black Magic Pizza right now. We also enjoy shopping at D’Amico and Sons in Oviedo -great sandwiches, bakery and Italian goodies, and of course Stasios! Just so many great things going on in our town!
Any other upcoming plans you can tell us about?
With TMG we are always growing and looking to provide fun and exciting things for our community! Soon you will see our Eastwood Concept taking shape that will bring tasty goods to mill/50
