I’ve had a lot of great dining experiences, but tonight was truly special. I'm going to sound like a cheesy, pretentious Yelp food blogger here (think South Park 😆) because I get really excited when I have a dining experience like this. I don’t often feel compelled to write detailed reviews like this, but I have to share this little gem I found in this small town. I’m from Charleston, WV. I spent Valentine's Day weekend with my boyfriend who lives in Ashland. I’d been seeing stellar reviews for a place called The Mill and was eager to try it. Their Valentine’s Day menu looked intriguing and was reasonably priced for the occasion, so we gave it a shot. We had no trouble getting in around 5:00. The space was much larger than we expected, and while the vibe wasn’t necessarily what you’d expect for an upscale dining experience, sometimes those are the places that surprise you the most. April greeted us at the bar and took excellent care of us. We ended up having pimento cheese with a fresh-baked house pretzel and crab cakes with a garlic aioli. The pimento cheese, served in a tiny cast-iron skillet, was more of a fondue, and was perfectly melty and delicious. The pretzel was soft, fresh, and perfectly baked. The crab cakes struck that ideal balance of breading and fresh lump crab (which is so hard to find!). For entrées, we shared the Marry Me Chicken and the filet, which was served on a 700° stone stone. It is one of those fun culinary trends where you cook the steak yourself with butter. We snacked on the chicken while cooking the steak. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, with perfectly balanced ingredients. But that steak—WOW! A high-quality filet, perfectly seasoned with the butter, cooked exactly how we wanted it. And the mashed chunky red potatoes? Also WOW! I don’t usually rave about sides, but these were perfection. We loved every single bite. For dessert, we chose the cheesecake with fresh strawberries. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert, so I was beyond excited to learn that it was baked in-house. It tasted homemade, super creamy and rich. We ended up going back for brunch the next day. Once again, April took fantastic care of us. We had the crab cakes Benedict and the shrimp and grits. Hollandaise can be tricky, but they nailed it. I already bragged about the crab cakes, so I won’t repeat myself, but the shrimp and grits were exceptional. With both dishes came the breakfast potatoes, which were perfectly seasoned. Now, mind you, dinner was part of a special Valentine’s Day menu, so it’s not a regular offering. They do have some fun themed dinners on occasion so check out their website or Facebook for the events and menus. This was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time and it was the perfect addition to a relaxing and enjoyable Valentine’s Day weekend. If you haven’t been, get down there!