Photography by Scott Suchman
Little Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast
2623 North Little Creek Rd.
Dover, Del.
302-730-1300 or http://www.littlecreekinn.com
Within an hour of checking in to the Little Creek Inn, I find myself hanging out in the kitchen with owners Bobby and Carol Thomas. Carol is loading the dishwasher. Bobby, a professional chef, holds court at the island, leading two local men in their longstanding weekly cooking lesson. “Here,” he urges, turning to me and opening a plastic container, “try the green mayonnaise we just made.” When I hesitate, looking for a spoon, he laughs heartily, “Go ahead! Use your finger!” I do, and it’s grand.
The Little Creek Inn is, like so many inns, a beautiful escape from the every-day. The circa-1860 Italianate white house is nestled among farms that dot Route 8. When you pull into the property entrance, you’re enthusiastically greeted at the end of the long, tree-lined drive by Hank and Jake, the resident English Labradors. And the inside of the house is a picture of elegance: wide-planked wooden floors, elaborate fireplaces, and nearly floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge and dining room, which are complemented by the antique rugs and furnishings. But it’s the personality of the Thomases that make me clear my own plates at breakfast the next morning just so I can take them into the kitchen and hang out some more, to talk food and wine and life with them. I realize that I’m having such a good time that if my husband and I didn’t have to get back to Baltimore that evening, I might try to sweet-talk my way into a dinner invitation. (Bobby is slow-roasting pork, after all.)
The Innkeepers
The Thomases hadn’t planned on settling in Dover nine years ago. In fact, Bobby didn’t even see a bed and breakfast in his future until Carol convinced him that running a B&B would allow more time for golf than running his series of successful restaurants in the Hamptons.
Passing through Dover, they saw an old farmhouse. It was for sale, but hadn’t been lived in for years. The Thomases bought it, invested their savings in renovations, and opened for business in 1997. Since then, Bobby has played very little golf.
Instead, the accomplished chef, who’s trained with the likes of Italian chef Marcella Hazan and routinely cooked for such culinary notables as Craig Claiborne, Pierre Franey, and Jacques Pepin at his restaurants, is cooking even more ("I had never made an omelet before here,” Bobby confides, “It took me some practice to get it right."). Thomas has hosted group cooking classes and private lessons at the inn, and the Thomases have started serving dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. (See below.)
The Rooms
The inn has five bedrooms: three on the third floor (two of which share a bathroom) and two rooms, plus the Thomas’ living quarters, on the second floor. All the rooms are dressed in antiques yet still have modern amenities, such as televisions and telephones. Like much of the house, our room, Room 3 on the third floor, is decorated in tasteful shades of beige and tan—from the bedspread to the vintage oriental rug to the needlepoint stool—and accented with classy touches like black lampshades. Its light-filled bathroom has a grand view out to the tree-lined drive that nearly took my breath away. Although time permitted only a quick shower, I climbed into the empty Jacuzzi bath fully clothed for a moment or two of decadent what-if dreams.
Special Touches
The Thomases accept bookings for weekend night dinners at the inn (there’s a minimum of four people), and they also can arrange special cooking-lesson weekends for groups in the barn, which holds the converted kitchen (Emeril watch out; this guy is a pro, baby). If you choose to indulge in either of these options, you might want to check out the swimming pool (in season, of course), the bocce court, or the small gym tucked into another red barn outbuilding for a bit of calorie burning.
What’s for Breakfast
By breakfast, I had already seen what Bobby could do in the kitchen, so I was anticipating something special. I was not disappointed. Fruit plates brimming with raspberries, sweet pears, bananas, and cantaloupe were waiting at a small table in the corner of the bright dining room. Bobby came out to offer a plethora of juice options and to ask us what we wanted to eat. “Now last night you said that you’d like to sample my smoked salmon,” he reminded me. “Yes, please,” I answered, and we negotiated a delicious plate of homemade toasted bread, sliced homegrown tomatoes, sweet onions, and a generous helping of Bobby’s home-smoked fish. My husband accepted Bobby’s offer of a salmon and sour cream omelet. It was nearly three inches high and light as air.
Diversions
Lots of folks come to Dover for the slots and harness racing at Dover Downs Casino or the car racing at Dover International Speedway. Downtown Dover also boasts the quaint Capitol Complex, historic brick buildings downtown that house the state archives, the visitors center, and the Biggs Museum of American Art. This tidy museum features historic decorative arts and paintings by members of the Peale family, Thomas Cole, and other local historic painters.
Romance Factor
Little Creek is ideal for a romantic weekend getaway, for as affable as the Thomases are, there is also a tremendous amount of privacy at the inn. A couple need not share tables with strangers in the dining room, the rooms are spacious, the beds more than comfy, and did I mention the huge Jacuzzi bathtub?
What It’s Going to Cost:
$100-$195 per night. Well-behaved dogs welcome.
Mary K. Zajac writes from Baltimore.
