Get Out Of Town!

Although I've been fending off the winter blues with numerous cups of cocoa, the latest subzero spell has drained me. Noticing my gloominess, my companion suggested that we rejuvenate ourselves with a bed-and-breakfast stay.

Armed with "Frommer's Wonderful Weekends from New York City" and the Internet, I set about finding an inn that was close to the LIRR. During my Web search, I happened upon the homepage of the Mill House Inn. I'd had a couple other places in mind for our excursion, but when I clicked on the Mill House breakfast menu, my mind was made up.

When we arrived, we were greeted by six canisters of cookies, a friendly dog named Corey, and Sylvia, the co-owner of the inn. Sylvia invited us to help ourselves to the cookies, and then led us into the dining room, which offered delicious hot cider, Mill House coffee and Bencheley tea. I accompanied my cider with homemade chocolate-chip and double chocolate-chip cookies. My mood was beginning to lighten (if not my weight). While I was munching, a guest sang the praises of the Mill House morning meal. "It's legendary," she said, "but you can only enjoy it if you're staying here. I'm meeting a real estate broker, and he asked me if he could pretend to be my guest just so he could have the breakfast." I couldn't wait for Sunday morning.

An invigorating scrub with honey-lemongrass soap and a soak in a lavender-scented whirlpool bath were a wonderful prelude to a nap under a goose-down comforter. (Later, we roused ourselves for an exquisite dinner at Della Femina. This restaurant is truly a subject for another post, but I must mention in passing their astonishing banana chocolate-chip croissant bread pudding. I'd never eaten a bread pudding made from croissants, and the flaky dough added extra butter to what was already a decadent treat.)

The next morning, we made sure to wake up by 10, as the brunch at Mill House is served only until 10:30. In the dining room, the four round wooden tables were festooned with poinsettias, and sunlight streamed through the windows. Smiling, I picked up my menu, to be met with the most daunting breakfast decision ever. I craved eggs, but did I want them scrambled with house-cured salmon, mascarpone, Vidalia onions and asparagus, or in egg nog form in the three-slice brioche French toast, or in a crawfish Andouille etoufee, or fried with chorizo, ancho, chipotle and pasillo peppers and tortillas, or how about in a five-cheese (mozzarella, grana padano, mascarpone, ricotta salata and Parmigiano Reggiano) frittata? And if I didn't want eggs, there were blueberry pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, grilled sandwiches, even three kinds of pizza!

With a bit of gracious guidance from Sylvia, we finally decided on the Irish oatmeal, green eggs and ham, scrambled eggs gratin, homefries and toast. We were first served a selection of fresh fruits with Champagne mint honey syrup (excellent over the blackberries).

Then it was time for... the best breakfast I can remember eating. Satisfyingly chewy Irish oatmeal arrived with a stripe of sweet berry compote and hot milk. My eggs gratin was a casserole of soft, Gruyere-gooey scrambled eggs, topped with snipped chives, shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs over a layer of caramelized onions and leeks, and then another layer of eggs. My companion's green eggs and ham, also served in a casserole, was quite generous with the Canadian bacon, spinach and Brie. The homemade sweet-tart ketchup was tasty, but the amazing Yukon Gold homefries needed no condiments. The crunchy-soft potato cubes were browned in olive oil and white wine and seasoned with garlic and thyme. And I couldn't even finish the hearty seven-grain toast and Vermont farm butter.

Our spirits lifted, and our bodies nutritionally fortified against any possible weather conditions, we packed up and made a note to return again soon.

The Mill House Inn: 31 North Main St., East Hampton, (631) 324-9766.