Homestead Inn A newly-renovated 200-year-old inn just 45 minutes from the city From the April 22, 2002 Issue of New York "Contractor not done, quelle surprise!" says Ouest chef Tom Valenti, recalling why he and his wife checked into Greenwich's Homestead Inn when renovations on their new apartment ran behind schedule. Opened in 1997, the nineteen-room, 200-year-old inn that showcases owner Theresa Henkelmann's interior design is just 45 minutes from the city by car or 30 minutes on Metro-North, and recently got a complete face-lift (including all nineteen bathrooms, which were redone with artisanal tiles). But tops on Valenti's list is Thomas Henkelmann's old-school but innovative French cooking at the inn's restaurant. "Flawless," Valenti says. "It was like revisiting my training days." -- MARION MANEKER Details Homestead Inn (doubles from $250; 203-869-7500 or homesteadinn.com). For a detailed guide to hundreds of other country destinations, check out the Bed and Breakfast Finder at bedandbreakfast.com.