Arise and eat: we found bed and breakfast inns where the first meal of the day truly is the best - bed and breakfast inns that serve vegetarian food - Traveling Fare

BREAKFAST MAY BE the most important meal of the day, but it isn't necessarily the healthiest or most satisfying when you're away from home. Because the American restaurant standard is still greasy eggs and hash browns, vegetarians and other health-minded folks have to settle for a bowl of I bland oatmeal, or dry toast and jam.

That's why many travelers choose to stay at bed-and-breakfast inns (B&Bs), which typically offer charming surroundings, personal attention and superior morning fare (always included in the room fee). But even the most hospitable B&Bs aren't always attuned to vegetarians' needs. Most innkeepers say they'll accommodate your diet with a little notice, but even then, B&B breakfasts can be heavy on the fat and sugar, and light on whole grains and fiber. And hosts have been known to ask vegetarians if they wouldn't mind picking the ham out of their quiche.

Out of exasperation, I went in search of vegetarian B&Bs or hosts who serve healthful, whole grain meals and promote their homes as havens for the alternatively fed. To my surprise, I found nearly two dozen in all regions of the United States. No doubt there are many more.

Along the way, I met inspired vegetarian cooks and tasted satisfying breakfast fare. At the Turning Point Inn in Great Barrington, Mass., an 1800s Colonial-style house in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains that is filled with antiques and boasts six Rumford fireplaces, host Irving Yost serves a variety of whole grain pancakes along with baked fruits, egg and tofu dishes, multigrain hot cereal and fresh-baked bread.

Vegetarian B&Bs also frequently offer other dietary options, such as vegan and macrobiotic meals. The breakfasts served at Towerhouse on Washington's San Juan Island are as lavish as the inn itself: a stunning Queen Anne-style house where meals are delivered on antique linens with crystal and silver. You can sit down to Chris and Joe Luma's lemon pepper scones with soy margarine and rice milk; gluten-free fruit blintzes; Moroccan pie with tofu, vegetables, and spices; or a nutty Mexican tamale. "People get egged to death at other B&Bs," says Chris. "But guests with special needs shouldn't have to settle for just cereal or fruit while on vacation. Vegans can come have a little fantasy too."

In the East is the even more lavish Gramercy B&B in Stevenson, Md., where you get tea service (herbal and regular)in your room and many rooms feature a glazed-brick fireplace or crystal chandelier. Before retiring for the night, you can check off your breakfast preferences for the next morning on a menu that includes almond milk, five types of juice, six fruits, twice-baked potatoes and five varieties of pancakes.

Among the other B&Bs that specialize in less common diets are Serendipity in Ocean City, N.J. (macrobiotic and raw foods); Annapurna in Port Townsend, Wash. (vegan and gluten-intolerant); Indigo Inn in Georgetown, Fla. (vegan and macrobiotic); and West of Eden in Seal Cove, Maine (vegan and macrobiotic).

Some B&Bs also serve dinner--another reason for choosing one that is vegetarian. At Duckett House Inn and Farm in Hot Springs, N.C., Brian Baker and Frank Matula dish up soup, salad, bread, entree (such as carrot pie, Russian cossack pie or lasagna), dessert and beverages by candlelight for $16 per person "Everything's from scratch," says Matula, "and as much as possible [is] organic." (Duckett House offers dinner primarily on weekends; as at other B&Bs, you need to make reservations.)

Serendipity, an airy Victorian home near New Jersey's beachside boardwalk, serves dinner from October 1 to May 1 to fill a seasonal void. "You have more choices [in town] in the summer," says host Clara Plowfield, who studied macrobiotic cooking. Saturday's $1 2.9 5 entrees may include seitan cutlets, tofu with herb stuffing, marinated tempeh over pasta or chickpea croquettes. Sunday is stir-fry night, and on Friday she serves soup, salad and dessert. "We let guests discover for themselves, after all those processed, instant meals, how much fun it is to eat real food," says Clara. (By popular demand, the inn started offering seafood last fall, but vegetarian options are plentiful.)

Vegetarian B&Bs that don't serve dinner are good sources of information on local vegetarian restaurants--and not just pizza joints and places with salad bars. This can be especially useful when you aren't in a veg-friendly locale. At Chatsworth B&B in St. Paul, Minn., Donna Gustafson refers guests to the Twin Cities' handful of vegetarian restaurants as well as several Mexican and Vietnamese establishments that serve meals without animal products.

Some inns have restaurants of their own. You can dine on international cuisine at White Cloud Natural Foods Inn in Newfoundland, Pa., a vegetarian retreat center. At Wildflower Inn in Sarasota, Fla., on what owner Ward Patton calls "the world's best beach," you'll sleep above a 21-year-old natural-foods restaurant with an impressive, large menu. Stoney Brook Inn of McCloud, Calif., has an organic eatery with a salad bar, soups, breads and entrees. And West of Eden's Whole Food safe prepares foods without dairy products, eggs or refined sugars.

Vegetarian B&Bs are also great places for those who appreciate gardens. If you like to eat your vegetables fresh from the earth, you'll like the Gramercy B&B. Anne Pomykala and her husband cultivate six acres of organic produce, which they sell locally. You can follow a map of the property to find berries, grapes, mushrooms, basil and other herbs, fruits and specialty vegetables. At Butterbrooke B&B in Oxford, Conn., Tom Butterworth grows more than 100 types of flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs. Guests see this bounty in his corn cakes with apples, melons, berries and local birch syrup. With a lake, two state parks and Catnip Acres Herb Farm nearby, he says "This is one of the most tranquil places to stay in the Northeast."

Some vegetarian B&Bs also offer extra facilities and services. Stoney Brook Inn has a sauna, hot tub, kiva (a lodge with a wood-burning stove) and a Native American sweat lodge. If your muscles are tired from hiking and skiing Mt. Shasta, you can request a therapeutic massage. Guests at the Chatsworth B&B can participate in Gustafson's yoga classes. And anyone who books two rooms for two people for two nights at the Nuthatch in Indianapolis gets a free cooking lesson from owner Joan Morris, who specializes in southeast Asian and Cajun cuisines.

If you have environmental allergies, put the Natural B&B and Annapurna Inn on your list. Marc Haberman's watercooled Natural B&B in Tucson, Ariz., has purified drinking water and no lawn, just palm and pine trees. He uses no artificial chemicals for cleaning and emphasizes organic and whole foods in his cooking. Annapurna Inn also offers purified water and uses only organic or inert cleaners. Robin Shoulberg and Tim Swanson serve vegan meals and offer therapeutic massage, foot reflexology, yoga, cranio-sacral therapy and a steam bath. "We cater to people's better health," Robin says.

"It's hard to stay well when you travel if you can't eat the way you're used to," says Connie Pappas of West of Eden. Staying at a vegetarian B&B is one way to ensure a wholesome meal--and a hearty welcome. And nobody will suggest that you pick the ham out of your quiche.

RELATED ARTICLE : EAT, SLEEP AND BE HAPPY

Prices at the following vegetarian bed-and-breakfast inns (B&Bs) are for double occupancy and include breakfast. Because prices and policies change, you should always call the owners for updated information.

ANNAPURNA INN, 538 Adams, Port Townsend. WA 98368; (360) 385-2909. A peaceful, pretty retreat in a charming Victorian seaport. Offers yoga, massage and sauna. Ask about the weekend package. Six rooms, three with private baths. Price: $65-$100.

BUTTERBROOKE B&B, 78 Barry Road, Oxford, CT 06478; (203) 888-2000. Two hours from New York City, this 1711 salt box Colonial offers a sitting room, fireplace, and private entrance. One rustic suite, private bath. Price: $75.

CHATSWORTH B&B. 984 Ashland Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104; (612) 227-4288. Relax by the fireplace, do yoga or talk holistic health just 10 minutes from downtown. Five rooms, three with private baths. Price: $70-$125.

DUCKETT HOUSE INN AND FARM. P.O. Box 441, Hot Springs, NC 28743; (704) 622-7621. Six hundred yards from the Appalachian Trail and a 10-minute walk from public mineral baths, this farmhouse is homey and comfortable. Six rooms (each with fireplace), shared baths. Price: $60-$70.

GRAMERCY B&B, 1400 Greenspring Valley Road, Box 119, Stevenson, MD 21153; (410) 486-2405. A stunning estate with Jacuzzis, vegan menu, hummingbirds, flower beds and pool. Only 15 minutes from Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Five rooms with private baths. Cost: $90-$175. Five single-bed rooms with shared baths. Price: $50.

GRATEFUL BED AND BREAKFAST, Box 568, Luquillo, PR 00773; (809) 889-4919. Hike the Caribbean rain forest, then return for Marty Soucie's black bean burritos with sliced mango fresh off the tree in this Grateful Dead-themed B&B. On a hill outside the national park, you'll hear tree frogs that sing all night. Has a recreation building and two guest houses. Nine rooms with shared baths. Price: $75.

INDIGO INN, HC1. Box 24, Georgetown, FL 32139: (904) 4679304. Three creative macrobiotic meals a day in this wildlife haven on Drayton Island. Secluded, rustic and filled with sculptures. One room with private bath. Price: $185.

NATURAL B&B, 3150 E. Presidio Road, Tucson, AZ 85716; (520) 881-4582. Quiet neighborhood on the edge of Tucson, simply furnished and surrounded by flowering cacti. Near the indoor-outdoor Sonoran Desert Museum. Offers macrobiotics, massage, acupressure and allergy-free cooking. Three rooms with private or shared bath. Price: $65.

NUTHATCH, 7161 Edgewater Place, Indianapolis, IN 46240; (317) 257-2660. A charming 1920s French country cottage with a deck over the White River. Corncakes, herb syrup and fruit terrine fill you up. Two suites with private baths. Price: $80-$95.

RANCHETTE, 2329 Lakeview Road, Albuquerque, NM 87105; (505) 877-5140. Outdoor hot tub, grand piano and breakfast burritos are highlights of this suburban, desert adobe home. Three rooms, one with private bath. Price: $65-$99.

SERENDIPITY B&B, 712 Ninth St., Ocean City. NJ 08226; (609) 399-1554. A Victorian home on the Jersey shore with wicker, stained glass and paddle fans. Six rooms with private baths. Price: $48-$85.

STONEY BROOK INN, 309 W. Colombero, McCloud, CA 96057; (916) 964-2300. An eclectic former roominghouse with a scenic view of Mt. Shasta. Thirteen rooms, nine with private baths. Cost: $40-$50. Five suites with kitchen. Price: $55-$70.

TOWERHOUSE 1230 Little Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250; (360) 378-5464. Ecotourists can enjoy eagle and whale watching on the nearby coast. Books and artwork from all over Africa and great views from every window. International breakfasts, Victorian decor, and sunset views. Two suites with private baths. Price: $80-$110.

TURNING POINT INN, RD 2, Box 140, Great Barrington, MA 01230; (413) 528-4777. Daniel Webster once visited this Federal Colonial near Tanglewood and the Butternut Ski Basin. Filled with antiques and fireplaces. Six rooms, four with private baths. Cost: $80-$100. Two-bedroom cottage with kitchen but no breakfast. Price: $200.

WEST OF EDEN, Route 102 and Kelleytown Road., Seal Cove, ME 04674; (207) 244-9695. On Mount Desert Island near Acadia National Park, where you can canoe and hike after filling up on Connie Pappas' aromatic hot cereals. An enlarged turn-of-the-century A-frame with simple decor. Open May through October. Three rooms with shared baths. Cost: $55-$65.

WHITE CLOUD NATURAL FOODS INN, RD 1, Box 215, Newfoundland, PA 18445; (717) 676-3162. On 50 acres in the Poconos, this simply furnished B&B was originally a retreat center and features a library, chapel, tennis court and plenty of wildlife. Twenty rooms, 10 with private baths. Cost: $55-$67.

WILDFLOWER INN B&B. 5218 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34242; (813) 346-1566. Rooms with either a light, airy "Florida beach" decor, Southwestern theme or antiques. Outside, you'll find boutiques, theater, white sand and the Gulf of Mexico. All four have kitchens with private baths. Cost: $75-$95.-E.R.

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