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Lord Hardwicke

Maybe no one wants to read about a holiday once it has passed, but I want to share my Valentine's Day dinner experience. (Be grateful I'm not still stuck on Christmas.) I am not going to gush about the lovely dinner I had with my boyfriend, the cute things he bought me and the great conversations we had while eating steak. If I had a boyfriend, I totally would. Instead, I had Valentine's dinner with my mom and my sister this year at Lord Hardwicke's.

Figuring restaurants downtown and on the Corner would be crowded, we drove down Route 29 seeking a decent establishment without a crowded parking lot. I thought it would be edgy to roll up to Waffle House or Golden Corral in our Valentine red and pink and eat at a "non-fancy" restaurant. Buffets, however, go against my mother's principles, and she will not eat at Waffle House past 11 a.m.

We ended up at Lord Hardwicke's ... what a place. My sister and I were the youngest patrons, and even my mom seemed young compared to the other clientele. We slid into a booth with slightly ripped cushions. Old-fashioned signs hung from the wood-paneled walls. The carpet was faded. The room was drafty. I almost died of happiness; drafty restaurants with faded carpets and kitschy signs can go both ways: The food can be surprisingly delicious or disappointingly bland.

Lord Harwicke's food was a combination of both. My mom's French Onion soup was heartily balanced with cheese, croutons and onions. My sister's house salad and homemade bleu cheese dressing was fresh. The sweet tea was refreshingly southern. My beef tips and mushrooms saut

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