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"Everyone who comes here - I want them to feel comfortable as if they were in their own home, in our elegant dining rooms. We only serve natural corn-fed beef that is hormone free, and our seafood is always fresh. I want them to think quaint New England restaurant," said owner Antony Canova, a graduate of the school of hospitality at UMass Amherst and the world famous Culinary Institute of America.

There is a parking lot in the back with complimentary valet parking. A charming, brick rear courtyard enters the brightly lit inn.

The first floor features a small bar to the left of the foyer, the kitchen, and four small dinning rooms, which accommodate about 60 guests. Reservations are highly recommended.

Each room exudes a comfortable ambience - white table linens, fine silver and china, soft lighting, leather bound menus, and deeply cushioned chairs. Each table is adorned with fresh flowers and candlelight. The menu is eclectic in nature with a long list of American cuisine, Northern Italian dishes, New England seafood, steaks, and chops.

There are nightly specials that change frequently. The menu is intriguing and diversified, offering appetizers such as the multifaceted shrimp cocktail. Appetizers range from $6.25 for a half dozen clams on the half shell to $14.95 per person for the hot antipasto dish. The main menu changes biannually. The main entree courses are generously portioned, ranging in price from $13.95 to $41.95. The nightly specials feature a more cutting edge cuisine and are more expensive than anything listed on the regular menu.

The brunch menu consists of Eggs Benedict for $10.95, Blackinton Club Sandwich for $12.95, Steak and Eggs for $16.95. Appetizers includes Eggplant Rollatini for $8.95, Bruschetta for $8.95 and Beef Carpacio for $10.95. The lunch menu includes Chopped Sirloin Steak for $9.95, Chicken Parmigiana for $10.95, or Baked Stuffed Shrimp for $14.95. The dinner menu contains Chicken Francese $16.95, Seafood Casserole $30.95, or Filet for $36.95.

Everybody receives a complementary house salad and a choice of starch for every entree.

The dessert menu is about $7 for each item and is aimed to please a variety of tastes, from carrot cake and an excellent tiramisu, to a wide variety of sorbets.

Before ordering, every table receives a warm crusty loaf of Italian bread served with olive oil and/or butter. The bread is delicious, can be replenished, and is available for take home.

The servers are always attentive without being intrusive. Every table receives glasses of water with slices of fresh lemon and the water glasses are never left empty. Courses are served in a timely manner and dishes promptly removed as courses are finished.

One of the appetizers is the New England Clam Chowder. It's creamy, rich, full-of-clams, and delicious. The baked stuffed lobster is a special only on Friday and Saturday nights, and is a delicious dish sprinkled with seasoned bread crumbs and extra lobster meat.

The cuisine at the Blackinton Inn, for the most part, is very good; however, there can be a few downsides. On one occasion the raw oysters on the half shell proved to be less than plump and in the final analysis disappointing. The noise level in the dinning rooms can be a distraction because the tables are small and somewhat crowded; the noise on one occasion was unnerving and a change of rooms was necessary.

This is not the place to take a cheap date as the restaurant is not inexpensive and the final tab can be a little surprising. Nevertheless, for the most part The Colonel Blackinton Inn serves quality dishes that are appetizing. This is the perfect high class restaurant for any special occasion or celebratory event. Gift cards are available at the front desk at any increment.

The Blackinton Inn offers dining and live music on the outside patio. The entertainment schedule starts on June 1 and runs every day through Aug. 31. The Carriage House is available for corporate events, meetings, conferences, and private parties. Thanks to the Canova family, a new chapter in history has begun for the Colonel Blackinton Inn.

For more information contact the Blackinton Inn at 508-222-6022 or visit colblackintoninn.com.