Walking into Dudley's on Short is like entering an oasis where the host greets you warmly, offering you a choice of the more casual bar and lounge area or taking you to your (likely reserved) table in the elegant dining room or the spectacular rooftop garden. Chances are, you may also be greeted warmly by Debbie Long, the restaurant's owner since it began 45 years ago.

At 6 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 28, the restaurant is throwing a "Night of Nostalgia" party for $145 per person (all inclusive, Long noted). Diners are encouraged to share their memories and photos.

We caught up with Long to ask her about her years at the helm of the Lexington fine-dining fixture. Her path wasn't obvious when she graduated from UK with a degree to teach special education. After a stressful experience teaching speech and hearing — "I loved it, but they literally put you in a broom closet and I'm a little claustrophobic" — she went to Colorado for the summer... and stayed for 8 years, skiing during days and waitressing by night. After deciding she needed to figure out a plan, she returned home and teamed up with a business partner, John Shea, to open a restaurant.

The Dudley Square building, a historic former school, had just been renovated and wanted a restaurant tenant. The name obviously came from the location, but also because it was needed quickly "for liquor license paperwork." After eight years there, Long bought out her partner and, in March 2010 Dudley's moved into its current home in a two-story building in the heart of downtown on Short that it owns.

Talking to Long is like visiting Dudley's, effortlessly welcoming (though clearly a lot of effort goes into that). Asked what are her favorite things about owning a restaurant after all this time, she answers readily.

The first is akin to the energy of live theater, she says. "In this industry, we're behind the scenes getting ready and sometimes the play goes really well — and sometimes it doesn't." But when people walk out with a smile, "Good nights are what keep you going," she says, also crediting the energy of working with now four generations of younger people.

The other thing, she says, is the people. "It's the satisfaction when you take care of your guests and they thank you." It's not unusual for them to tell her the family has been marking special occasions there for decades.

We had to ask... Will Long retire? "I hope so," she says with a grin. "But I don't know when."