Food *** (3 stars)

Service *** (3 stars)

Atmosphere *** (3 stars)

Howard County, which, for whatever reason, is long on franchise eating places and short on fine dining, has had one notable exception since the 1960s: the Kings Contrivance. It was one of the first restaurants in the area to offer Continental dining, and now is one of the last.

There's a sense of a different era about this place, even though the 1890s mansion has just gone through a major renovation to make it seem as fresh as a shiny new penny. The walls and trim have been painted in soothing neutrals, the floors redone, carpets and draperies replaced.

Poor:]