THISTLE DEW INN: A TOAST TO A WINE COUNTRY B&B; B&B REVIEW.

Byline: Susanne Hopkins Daily News Travel Editor

You could choose to stay at the Thistle Dew Inn because of its location - just a half block west of the historic Sonoma Plaza in the heart of California's premier wine country - or because there is no two-night minimum stay on weekends, or because it has rooms with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.

But you'll come back for the lemon poppyseed pancakes.

``Those are pretty popular,'' acknowledges Larry Barnett, who, with wife Norma, owns the comfortable Craftsman-style b&b and turns out the pancakes and other dishes at breakfast each morning. His culinary creations have proven so popular with guests over the years that he has even compiled a Thistle Dew cookbook.

The food adds to the ambience of this pleasant place that houses two guest rooms with another four in a rear abode. None boast the traditional b&b froufrou; instead, they're crisply decked out in straight-lined, oak Arts and Crafts furniture, oriental carpets and handmade quilts. Some have whirlpool baths and fireplaces. Each has a private bath and is air-conditioned, but there's nary a television to be found.

``We'll never put TVs in because I have sworn,'' says Barnett, adding that he hopes guests will instead read, sightsee or - what a concept - talk to each other.

My room - the Cornflower room - is inside the house, just off the living room. It's small but cheerful, with brilliant blue walls, a wicker chair, oak end tables and bed.

``I'll be putting out some appetizers and you can help yourself,'' says manager Nina Fazio, after showing me around the inn. Within minutes, an array of marinated fresh asparagus, blue and cheddar cheeses, crackers and tea adorn the large oak table in the dining room.

Fazio offers suggestions for dinner and says the inn also can arrange massages and entry to a local health club. Should I want to go exploring sans car, the inn can provide a bicycle, she says. And there are plenty of places to visit in and around this town about an hour northeast of San Francisco - 300 wineries; Glen Ellen, the hamlet Jack London called home; and Sonoma itself, with its historic structures and inviting shops and restaurants.

The inn makes for a well-located, comfortable and low-key base - which is just the way the Barnetts have planned it. They've owned the inn for seven years. Norma Barnett is a psychotherapist with a practice in Oakland; Barnett was the founder of Healthy Planet Products, which publishes Sierra Club Cards.

``I've had businesses of my own since I was 20,'' Barnett says. ``I've always worked for myself. I had a larger business in publishing and I decided I wanted to go back to a smaller business where I wasn't sitting behind a desk trying to get people to do things.''

He also wanted a job where he could enjoy two of his hobbies: gardening and cooking.

``I like to cook and garden and I like people, so innkeeping seemed like a perfect thing,'' he says.

He's been able to combine his two loves at the Thistle Dew. The flat lot is artfully decked out with plants from around the world with a particular emphasis on cactuses.

And he's able to whip up a variety of culinary creations, from chantarelle mushroom and brie omelettes, banana buckwheat pancakes and peppered ham to those delectable lemon poppyseed pancakes.

``It's better than having a restaurant,'' he says. ``I get to play with food and indulge myself with the aesthetics of food without the pressures of a restaurant ... the guests are my guinea pigs.''

Nobody seems to mind. In fact, two of us volunteer at breakfast to eat a second serving of pancakes

B&B Basics

Address: Thistle Dew Inn, 171 W. Spain St., Sonoma, Calif. 95476.

Phone: [phone]; Web site is http:/www.thistledew.com

Price range: $100-$180 per night. No two-night minimum.

Number of rooms: 6, all with private bath; three have fireplaces, three have whirlpool baths, four have private decks.

House rules: No smoking indoors, children welcome by arrangement, no pets.

Money matters (credit cards, cancellation policy): Visa, MasterCard, American Express, personal checks, cash; 48-hour cancellation notice required.

Check in/check out: 3 to 7 p.m. / noon.

Telephones, television: Telephones in all rooms, no televisions, no radios.

CAPTION(S):

Box, 2 Photos

Box: B&B Basics (See text)

Photo: (1--Color) Sonoma's Thistle Dew Inn is a Craftsman-style b&b just a half-block from the town's plaza.

(2) Forget the frou frou at the Thistle Dew Inn. The look is spare and cheerful at the Sonoma b&b.

Suzanne Hopkins/Daily News