You know you're in for a good ride when you order a club soda and the tuxedoed waiter bursts out with an exuberant "Excellent!" as if you've just ordered a jeraboam of the house's most expensive wine.
The White Barn Inn manages the neat trick of being extraordinarily showy in decor, service and fare, at the same time it avoids intimidating guests with its refinement.
The waiters are dressed formally, but they'll still chuckle at lame jokes. (Guests are pretty formal, too. There's a no-jeans and jackets-on-men policy.) The imported upholstery and flowing white tablecloths are tempered with antique feedbags and farm implements displayed in the soaring hayloft of this venerable barn.
The food under the direction of chef Jonathan Cartwright is as well selected and delicately prepared as you'll find in any city, yet everyone can pronounce everything on the menu; the tastes are rich yet eminently accessible.
The emphasis at this exceptional restaurant is on Maine products prepared with unexpected flourishes. The seafood is especially superb, and the beef as tender as you'll find anywhere. With cocktails and a modest bottle of wine, the tab will easily hits $200 for two. But it's a place for a special night out, and will serve you a meal you won't likely forget.