It's a while since I've been to Mrs K's Tollhouse. It was a place I'd take my maiden aunt and she's now nibbling sugarcakes in the teahouse in the sky. So who knew that last January Mrs K's had a total makeover that would have made dear auntie quite the flirt. The lower level has been turned into a space with a bar that's, dare I say it, sexy, where you can order small plates and single glasses of wine. It's surrounded by more tables, and in various rooms leading off it are others for private dining and discreet eating areas (auntie would be thrilled!), separated by an astonishing 3,500 square feet of walls filled with wine bottles. "20 - 25,000," guesses Mrs K's owner Spiros Gildasis. "I've no idea."

Marisee Upshur chuckles. She's tickled pink with the developments she's seen since she joined the restaurant as a line cook. That was nearly 13 years ago. Now she's its executive chef.

Much has changed. The famous help-yourself Lazy Susan Salad has gone, replaced by contemporary individual presentations. Cooking, which is fundatmentally modern American, is brushed by influences from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. Upshur was brought up by West Indian parents in Brooklyn but while she's brought a touch of spice to her cooking at Mrs K's she's not about to overwhelm the taste buds of a clientele that's been loyal to Mrs K's for decades. While you'll find grilled octopus on the menu, you'll also see local favorites like the crabcakes that won Upshur Channel 9's "Best Crab Cake" in Maryland in 2007 and keep customers returning. But where there was turkey every day, and two roasts, now you're more likely to see plates floating by of Tuna au Poivre, Spicy Feta Dip with Pita Chips ("The owners are Greek," says Upshur; "I've learned a lot from them"), Frenched Venison Chop, and Stuffed Quail. "Over the years the cuisine has changed a lot," says Upshur. But she's determined to keep a good balance between the clientele that have seen Mrs K's through all its changes and the newer group attracted to an elegant environment they don't have drive miles and pay valet parking to enjoy.

Built in the 1900s, Mrs K's began as a tollhouse charging 2 cents to travel through. In 1930, it was bought by a couple who filled it with antiques and sets of china. That unique feel hasn't gone though it has been pared down and updated. Surrounded by flower-filled gardens, the Silver Spring restaurant's an oasis from bustle and noise within easy drive of downtown DC.

Upshur's mother encouraged her to go to the School of Culinary Arts at Baltimore International College. Internships took her to kitchens in Virginia, to Ireland where she trained in French technique, and to New Orleans where she learned Creole cuisine. She run the gamut, from fine dining, to banquets, to cafe service.

So what's the secret for that award-winning crabcake? "I like to taste crab, not other stuff, to savour that pure crab flavor! I want you to be able to taste it!"

Flavor is what she's after when she goes out with her husband - and sometimes with her 7-year old daughter. They'll go to Sushi-Ko, to Rasika. "I like to try different ethnic cuisines." She's seeing more caution over what people eat these days. "More lamb chops, prime rib eye, grills - more healthy options than before." But some of her clientele are ready to follow her wherever her flavor instincts lead as a cook. "My background's the Caribbean with things like jerk chicken, curried mussels. One lady asked if I would ever do curried goat!" She may not be ready to put that or lesser-known cuts like oxtail on the menu quite yet, but she does a roaring trade in her own version of short ribs.

Working as hard as she does, her daughter sometimes has to drop in to the restaurant to catch her mom. She's proud of what her mom does and is becoming interested in some aspects of cooking herself, helping Upshur in the kitchen at home. "I started cooking age seven," says Upshur. "But my husband? He says I don't know if she should start with that stove." Whether her daughter is allowed at present in the potential danger zone, she's certainly getting her taste buds honed. "I tell her, you need to try something before you make up your mind whether you like it or not." Any of Mrs K's long-standing clientele wary of some the changes on the menu should heed that good advice. They'll be pleasantly surprised.

Mrs K's Tollhouse is located at  9201 Colesbville Rd, Silver Spring, 301 589 3500.3-course prix fixe dinner $33 until Summer 2009. Main courses à la cart from $21 to $38.

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