Any advice on getting a car repainted for purely aesthetic (not damage repair) reasons?  More specifically, are there places and how would I choose one that could make it look like it came that way from the factory?  

It would seem to me that it's going to be a "get what you pay for" game, but that only helps me eliminate the Earl Sheib types.  

Just kinda lost on how to get started, other than marching through the phone book.

Stay away from Mako paint stores too. My buddy had one of their "Amabsedor" jobs and they did no prep work at all. Painted over road grime and bugs. Got overspray everywhere. Look around for local car clubs see what they say for a good job.

You are absolutely correct you do get what you pay for.  I have have done, or had done, extensive work on mid-80's Chevy Caprice Classic including having one completely restored, and this is what I learned about auto paint.  
1) Above the actual steel of the car is a primer.  On to the primer goes the actual auto paint.  The primer, and the paint to some extent, are porous in that both layers 'breath'.  When I restored am 86 Caprice in 2000, the car had never been polished from day 1, and was hardly moved from one month to the next by my dear old grandmother and as a result, the paint became so porous that water went through it and the primer below and onto the steel which resulted in unseen rust almost over the whole paint covering of the car that had to be sanded off and/or had the panel replaced.  

Now you indicated that this is a new car. As it is lilely the primer was not damaged from age and/or neglect, In such a case the paint can be sanded off the primer and the primer left intact, which cuts what could be a $5000 dollar job to $2500 roughly because the primer need not be removed which is a much bigger job, My Caprice was out of commission for over a month for its restoration.  Either way though I think your car will be, and probably should be in any event, out of your hands for 2 weeks and in the shop at the very least.  When old paint is removed, the new paint is sprayed on, but to do it right, as another poster mentioned, you need a bake room to set the paint properly.  

As fas as cost goes, the only thing that could increase it further is the amount of chrome and/or trimmings and details that have to be removed to do the paint job.  While glass can stay on, the bumpers, moldings, pinstripes, etc. all have to come off which can amount to 5 hours of a mechanics time.  

That is why this 'Ill paint any car for 1 $100 is bullshit.  There is so much manual labor and elbow grease involvved in painting a car to look factory new, any full size four door car should run $2000 for a job top to bottom.

Also remember, that for 2 months after you get the car back, you must be careful to let the paint set by hosing it off all the time, removing any bird shit right away, etc.  After the two months are up you can begin polishing the car.  But that is an art in and of itself and I made many mistakes and caused light scratching on my babies before I figured it out.  First, never ever go to a commercial car wash, they destroy, over time, a paintjob.  Second, use a hose and light auto soap made for cars like Meguires soap.  (The reason you use auto soap is because other harsher cleaners remove prior polish along with the dirt.  Good auto soap leaves the polish on)  Then use paste wax with a mechanical buffer and use buffing and polishing cloth you buy at the store to do the rest.  Make sure when you use the machine that the car surface is PERFECTLY clean.  This way, the paint job can look almost new for 10 years.  

Hope this helps!  Good luck!