For the sake of argument, let’s say that cost isn’t an issue when you are choosing a place to eat this month.

You have heard wonderful things about grand chef Jonathan Cartwright’s prix fixe menu at the White Barn Inn in Kennbunk Beach. That haute dinner experience has been reviewed in these pages (to a five-star assessment) recently enough to avoid a repeat. So I ducked in to see what the kitchen does with “ordinary” dishes from the inn’s more casual winter bistro menu. It’s offered until the end of March.

The question remains: Would you pay $25 for a hamburger?

Many will say, “No way.” Others might concede, “If it’s amazing.” “That depends,” comes the chorus from those who have the money for the occasional splurge but can’t quite think through this sticker shock. For that price, even Warren Buffet might stay home and have a Nebraskan rib eye.

What if I say you can enjoy the exquisite ambience of this luxury inn, listen to live music played on a grand piano by a recording artist (Thomas Snow) and find service as perfect as it could be?

And oh, that hamburger? It is perfectly cooked to order — just a touch of rare, with a thin, crusty coat. It’s Waygu beef (a Japanese breed) and sirloin so tender and finely ground that it could pass for filet mignon — no exaggeration — and you can also get homemade truffle ketchup with that ($2 extra).

Advertisement

It’s an unforgettable burger, and I don’t say that lightly. But you might be slightly disappointed in the ordinary steak fries, which are uniform in size and nicely golden, but not as good as those at a few notable lunch spots.

No one lives by burgers alone. So consider the inn’s exceptional clam chowder — a precisely balanced consistency with shreds, not chunks, of clams and potatoes. It’s buttery, not too creamy or pasty, and intensely flavored — the best chowder I’ve had in a good while ($12).

Minestrone ($10), legume-less and with diced cubes of vegetables in a tomato-y vegetarian broth, is also good but not outrageously so. Both came in small, decorative ceramic terrines. Pretty.

Bread was warm cornmeal scones flecked with caramelized onions and perfectly paired with cool, spicy tomato butter seasoned with horseradish. I can’t recall when I’ve been so blown away by bread service.

If only the salads kept up their end among this array of excellence. Both the “field salad” with walnut dressing and dried cranberries ($11) and “seasonal salad” with English Stilton cheese and balsamic dressing ($14, not sure what made it seasonal — the robust cheese?), while perfectly presented, didn’t hit the same high notes, unless you adore that cheese.

A plate of house-cured salmon ($22), dotted with capers and thin slices of red onion and served, curiously, without crackers, baguette toasts or some vehicle, had lovely flavor but a somewhat ragged texture.

Advertisement

We were back to seafood heaven with the lobster pizza ($26 for a 12- to 15-incher), a crispy, thin crust with yeast bubbles at outer edges, tender bite-sized lobster meat, fontina cheese, slivers of tomato and plenty of fresh basil. This was a perfectly balanced pie, big enough for two (or three as a starter). If you bring home leftover slices, they’ll be wrapped in foil and packaged in a glossy box complete with a doily.

I mention these details so you can decide if the disconnect between the type of food (certainly not its quality) and atmosphere is a problem for you. It needn’t be, but not everyone wants valet parking and formally attired staff when they go out for a hamburger.

A bright, plump and very fresh section of cod, coated with a beer batter (Allagash White) with a nice air pocket between fish and golden coating was fabulous. Accompanying chips were as above — not rave-worthy. A minty green pea puree gave the fish and chips a special touch. Price-watchers, beware: The plate was $26.

Braised beef short rib with penne pasta ($18), hearty and filling in a tomato-rich sauce, was tasty but not the extraordinary dish you might expect.

We enjoyed a 2011 A to Z Pinot Noir ($45), which was smooth and full-bodied to match the myriad of dishes we ordered. Another perk of dining at the White Barn Inn is access to its well-curated liquor selections.

To finish, we ordered bread pudding that used wonderful homemade croissants as its base. The white chocolate dessert was an outrageous rectangle of puffy, buttery softness, with a crowning touch of dark chocolate sauce that one could pour over to taste ($12).

Advertisement

White Barn’s winter bistro menu is served in a well-appointed side dining room with white tablecloths adjacent to the main dining room. This space has a wall of glass, behind which are seasonal plantings — a full-sized lighted diorama.

The main dining room has this feature too, but it’s a two-story affair. Both are gorgeous installations that underscore the extraordinary ambience.

Nancy Heiser is a freelance writer and editor. She can be reached at:

nancyheiser.com

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.