Dolores Kostelni | Special to The Roanoke Times

Non-Pub: Millstone Tearoom

Millstone Tea Room offers a Sunday brunch.

Millstone Tea Room

• Where: 9058 Big Island Highway, Bedford
• Directions from Roanoke: Take U.S. 460 East toward Bedford. Take third Virginia 122 North exit. Follow Independence Boulevard north until you reach the intersection of Virginia 122 and U.S. 221. Drive 8.6 miles to Millstone Tea Room, just after North Otter Creek.
• Menu: Changes depending on availability of fresh ingredients
• Price range: Lunch: $6.50 to $10.50; Dinner: $17.50 to $29.50
• Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; Dinner: 5:30 p.m. to closing Wednesday through Saturday; Sunday brunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Soda products: Coca-Cola
• Alcohol? Wine, organic beer, mixed drinks
• House-made desserts? All
• Vegetarian dishes? Not specifically, but menu offers vegetarian ingredients.
• Plastic? MasterCard, Visa and Discover
• Smoking? Outside only
• Takeout? Yes
• Delivery? No
• Reservations? Recommended
• Patio seating? Weather permitting
• Wireless Internet? No
• Live music? No
• Catering? No
• Banquet space? On Monday and Tuesday when restaurant is closed.
• Handicapped accessibility? The Blue Ridge Independent Living Center has determined that this restaurant is not accessible, based on the Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal for existing facilities.
• Kid friendly? Yes, if well behaved. Children’s menu and high chairs available.
• Call: (540) 587-7100
• Net: millstonetearoom.com

After driving for miles through the Bedford farmlands, I finally came upon a simple rustic cabin on the side of the road with an equally unpretentious sign placed a few hundred feet away identifying the building as Millstone Tea Room. I followed several people into the dining room, and much to my surprise, a scene of joyful eating and lively conversations unfolded before me. I couldn't wait to get a menu in my hands and join this happy crowd.

THE MENU

While Millstone serves lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays, I visited for Sunday brunch, which features six appetizers and seven entrees.

At the table to my left, I noticed a small platter of three imported artisan cheeses ($10.50) and Gulf shrimp tempura with cucumber salsa, ponzu (a traditional sweet-sour Japanese dipping sauce) and chile sauce ($8.50). To my right, pan-steamed blue mussels swimming in herbal white wine broth ($9.50) and handmade russet potato gnocchi dressed with basil pesto, almonds and Parmigiano cheese ($7.50 to $13.50) were pleasing guests.

More temptations incorporating fresh regional ingredients included Ploughman's brunch of scrambled eggs, bacon, pork loin, potatoes and Southern greens ($13.50); and beef tenderloin medallions with sauteed crimini mushrooms and two fried eggs ($18.50). The famous French seafood stew, bouillabaisse, contained striped bass with crab and lobster poached in tomato broth ($18.50) and Reedville jumbo lump crab cakes with a North African-inspired Tunisian mashed yam and wilted spinach ($22.50). The only entree salad and one of the few permanent menu items is the deluxe chicken salad accompanied by garden vegetables and toasted baguette ($12.50).

WHAT I ENJOYED

Even though the server had been back twice, all 13 of the menu selections appealed to me, and I couldn't make a decision. At last, I ordered a Caesar salad with alici (Italian-style anchovies), hard-cooked egg slices adorned with Parmesan dressing ($5), and one of the menu's enduring items, Low Country shrimp and grits ($13.50). I couldn't have been more pleased with the salad, even though I barely ate a few forkfuls of tender inner leaves because the shrimp and grits followed within a few minutes.

I devoured every smidgen of my luscious entree, taking time to savor the complex flavors. Presented in an oversized white soup plate, this Southern masterpiece contained several large shrimp with a mound of buttery white grits topped with two fried eggs adrift in an expertly seasoned rosy sauce.

WINE LIST

Adding to the pleasures of Sunday brunch is the complimentary glass of chardonnay or champagne mimosa presented before meal service.

The single-page wine list features a global selection of reds and whites ranging in price from $22 for a Spanish 2005 Verdejo Con Class to $42 for a Napa Valley 2005 Clos Pegase Chardonnay to $141 for a 1998 South Australia Penfolds Cabernet Bin 707. Three champagnes, several Italian wines, including an Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2003 ($114), a few Pinot Noir from Oregon, a couple Chateauneuf du Pape 2004 and a Hullabaloo Zinfandel Napa Valley 2005 ($44), round out the wines by the bottle.

A reasonable $7 buys a glass of white or red wine from Spain, France, Australia, California, Washington or Italy.

NOT TO BE PICKY, BUT...

Among the several desserts mentioned by the server, I selected the pineapple-pecan coffee cake, which brought the only minor disappointment because of a rubbery crumb. However, a small ball of smooth-as-satin vanilla ice cream accompanied the cake and bestowed redemption.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This endearing roadside restaurant is a gem -- a rare delight. I want to bring at least four other dining partners with me on my next visit so I can sample most of the ever-changing menu.

MEET THE CHEF PROPRIETORS

When Jared and Melanie Srsic entertained the idea of cooking for a living, they already knew what they wanted. They sought a setting with enough acreage to grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers, space for a hen house for cage-free eggs -- and an unpretentious, charming place to serve exceptionally fresh food made from scratch. They found what they were looking for in this roadside tearoom that had been built in 1939, and which they re-established in 2001. With their ongoing renovating, they hope to return it to its original look.

Melanie's pastry talents developed over the years; she learned the delicate art from her grandmothers. Later, she attended professional classes at The Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump's) in New York City while Jared, an intuitive chef, is self-taught and a third-generation Croatian-Italian who mixes classic techniques with updated Old World dishes and American Southern cooking.