Despite living in Macon for 15 years, I’ve never taken the opportunity to dine at Downtown Grill until last month.

Well, it was worth the wait.

It’s certainly earned its reputation as one of Macon’s finest dining experiences.

My dining companion and I were certainly surprised to enter the restaurant and see a cigar bar full of patrons smoking, but the smoke didn’t affect us as we got a booth in another part of the restaurant. The decor contributed to the ambience of the place.

My companion and I elected to skip the appetizers to make room for dessert after the main course. Good call on her part, but not so much on mine.

I ordered the maple leaf duck breast, not realizing that it was served as medallions. While the duck itself (and the accompanying baked potato and broccoli) were delicious, the medallions weren’t enough to sate my always hearty appetite. The presentation looked nice, but I would have preferred the full breast. The fruit sauce the duck was cooked in was delightful.

Meanwhile, my much more petite companion ordered pork chops, which were so large that they pretty much covered the plate. She managed to make it through one, but had to take the other home. (By the way, she said it was just as enjoyable as a leftover). She enjoyed both dipping sauces for the meat, a raspberry bourbon demi-glaze and a bourbon mustard sauce, both of which she said have a slight kick to them.

Her side of asparagus was tender and crisp, while her other side of cheese grits had a sort of fluffy, smooth consistency without being too runny or thick.

“Plus,” she said, “they were just completely delicious.”

For dessert, she got the chocolate chip bread pudding while I got the pecan pie. I was hoping the pie would be served warm, but it was room temperature. Despite that, I enjoyed it. She said the bread putting with caramel and chocolate sauces was “thick like bread pudding should be without being too heavy. It tasted decadent even though it wasn’t rich or overpowering with chocolate flavor.”

I took a bite of the bread pudding and enjoyed it, even though I’m not really a bread pudding fan.

The service was absolutely terrific. The waiter was very friendly and attentive without being hovering.

Downtown Grill is the perfect sort of restaurant for special occasions. With entrees ranging in price from $13.95 to $27.95, it’s definitely on the high end of Macon dining -- our meal was more than $70, and neither my companion nor I ordered drinks or appetizers.

Still, for a special night, it’s well worth the price.

Downtown Grill

Address: 562 Mulberry Street Lane

Phone: 742-5999

Hours: 5 p.m. until closing Mondays-Saturdays

Payment: Cash/credit

Smoking: Yes

Alcohol: Yes

Kids Menu: No

Noise Level: Medium

Health Rating: 94

Price range: $13.95 to $27.95 for entrees

Rating: 3.5 stars