The White Barn Inn and Restaurant
37 Beach Avenue
Kennebunk, ME 04043
207.967.2321
The White Barn Inn and Restaurant are Fred Bollaci Enterprises Preferred Destinations, featuring exceptional, five-star cuisine by Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef Jonathan Cartwright in beautiful Kennebunkport, Maine, a ten minute stroll to the Ocean or into the heart of the charming, elegant coastal village. White Barn Inn is one of only a handful of restaurants in the United States to receive both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes 5 Star Fine Dining awards! Now, The White Barn Inn can add to its list of accolades Fred Bollaci’s seal of approval!
The White Barn Inn Restaurant exemplifies fine dining: gracious, yet unpretentious hospitality, extraordinary cuisine, and white glove service. From the moment you are greeted by name by the Maitre d’, you feel like you are home. Everyone knows your name, and is ready to take care of you! Being made to feel special, like a member of a private club I have belonged to for years– on my first visit to an out-of-town restaurant is most impressive!
For me, the key that distinguishes the many excellent restaurants and hotels from the absolute very best is what I call “the little something extra” in addition to marvelous food, ambience, wine lists, service, attention to detail, and amenities. The establishments that stand out as the very best are those whose staff, chefs, and owners go the extra mile to personalize the experience, by taking the time to get to know their customers, and to ensure their feel “comfortable” and “at home.” There is a large emotional component to dining and lodging. People are not home, but they want to feel comfortable, as though they are. The restaurants and hotels that make the highest grade understand this and create an environment where the guest feels welcome, cared for, appreciated, and at home.
The attention to little details, the flowers, the lighting, the ambience, the “help yourself cordials” in crystal decanters in the cozy sitting area adjacent to a roaring fireplace–everything about this place is magical and welcoming. This sets the stage for an equally magical dining experience!
Encompassing two restored barns dating from 1820′s, the restaurant offers elegant, rustic decor, candle lit crisp white linen tables and the classic views from our floor to ceiling picture window (adorned with spectacular seasonal flowers), creating the perfect stage for a romantic gourmet retreat or that special celebration with family or friends.
With a menu that is refreshed weekly by Grand Chef Jonathan Cartwright to reflect the seasons and local bounty, at The White Barn Inn you will experience the perfect marriage of the rich and fulsome flavors of New England and coastal Maine with culinary mastery. Signature items include local game and the freshest fruits of the sea from the icy waters of Kennebunkport, complimented by a renowned wine cellar, the restaurant is a perennial recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Dining at The White Barn Inn Restaurant is a four-course prix fixe meal and is one of the great dining experiences in America, and should be a must on any food lover’s bucket list. On a recent visit, we sampled the Lobster Spring Roll with Carrot, Daikon Radish, and Snow Pea in a Thai-Inspired Spicy Sweet Sauce, “Tataki” of Seared Bison Loin with Wild Rice, Fava Bean and Cranberry Salad with Savory Lemon Curd and Walnut Puree, Pepper Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna Loin with Slow Poached Egg Yolk, Fine Green Bean Salad, and Kalamata Olives as appetizers. For the intermezzo, we enjoyed the Blood Peach “Bellini” Sorbet (with an injection of prosecco at the table!), Lobster Bisque with Sweet Corn Beignet, and Iced Watermelon and New England Strawberry Soup, which was marvelous, a perfect local summer treat!
For Entrees, we especially enjoyed the Steamed Maine Lobster atop a bed of Homemade Fettucine with Carrot, Ginger, Snowpeas, and a Cognac Sauce, as well as the Seared Local Halibut and Calamari with English Peas, Rissole Potatoes, Tomato-Poached Tapioca Pearls and Vine Ripe Tomato Chutney.
Jonathan Cartwright, Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux, is a native of northern England and began cooking when he was 15 years old. Since then, his mastery of the culinary arts has taken him to some of the world’s finest Relais & Châteaux properties including Blantyre in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Horned Dorset Primavera in Rincon, Puerto Rico, where he was executive chef, and the Hotel Bareiss in the Black Forest region of Germany. Cartwright’s training apprenticeships included positions at the renowned Savoy Hotel in London where he studied under Anton Edelmann, Maître Chef de Cuisine.
Cartwright joined The White Barn Inn Restaurant as sous chef in 1994. In 1989, during his tenure at the Savoy, he accompanied Edelmann to the Pierre Hotel, New York and the Four Seasons, Beverly Hills to assist with celebrations honoring the Savoy Hotel’s 100th anniversary. In the spring of 1999, Cartwright was honored to be invited to showcase his cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.
In 1996, after two years as sous chef at The White Barn Inn, one of only three AAA Five Diamond restaurants in New England, Cartwright was named executive chef. In this capacity, Cartwright oversees all food and beverage operations of the 120-seat restaurant and the Inn’s Wine Room.
Cartwright believes “That my menu creations are influenced by a love of European-style cooking acquired from my experiences,” emphasizing “Nature’s offerings from the New England land and sea, my present home. I’m elated about the opportunity to continue the tradition of fine food at The White Barn Inn. It’s an exciting challenge to marry the fabulous products of Maine with my European roots.”
Combining rustic Yankee ambiance with European-style service and contemporary New England cuisine, The White Barn Inn Restaurant offers a four-course prix fixe menu nightly with a seafood and vegetarian tasting menu also available. The lovingly maintained, charming, elegant 27-room White Barn Inn & Spa in Kennebunkport, Maine, also features a heated outdoor pool, lovely continental breakfast (included), excellent service, and in-room gas fireplaces, is the perfect place to celebrate all four seasons, just 80 miles from downtown Boston, the ultimate New England food and wine lover’s getaway!
Please tell Chef Jonathan and the folks at The White Barn Inn that Fred Bollaci sent you!
