Value and worth. Remember those two words.

Remember them because they are essential in business and especially in any given dining experience.

Take, for instance, this scenario: Value is a large macaroni-and-cheese plate with shrimp, stringy-tangy-pungently-delicious cheese, spinach and broccoli that hits all the right spots…from a spot called Nica's 320 in the Crossroads.

Worth? Well to me, that was eating the remnants of said dish, from said after-work hotspot, the day after the experience.

Value and worth are the theme of a dinner conversation at Nica’s 320 with Nikki Grant, owner of Nikki Grant boutique, or NGB for short.

I remember the words as the demure, stylish and petite Ms. Grant, without deliberation or hesitation, orders pulled pork drenched in a sweet-and-spicy Korean BBQ sauce after making short work of a spring salad.

“Doesn’t bother me much, sounds good, tastes good," she says of the pork sandwich piled high on her plate, but admits this is not the typical cuisine of the high-fashion world. "I know I won’t finish it, so why not?"

Between bites, she laughs with her whole body as if cued by the background music, swaying as she shrugs off urban legends about pork. One of the stories she relates is about a mysterious parasitic worm in undercooked pork. Perfect dinner conversation, right? It’s atypical, but that’s the point in fashion, style and dining experiences.

Nikki has a unique way of leaning forward while keeping a perfect posture, as she tells me that value is a number you or others assign to something. Worth is what you think of yourself, your efforts and their results. No one can determine your worth but you.

In other words, you can get a good price on a meal, but "good" doesn't exist without your psychological evaluation of the product, the experience and how they make you feel.

Now the beignets show up. These golden brown, calorically bready wonders with fruity or chocolate fillings and white mountains of powdered sugar are served all times of the day and night.

In all things, says Nikki, much more conservative with her approach to the beignets, “I go for timeless. What counts is how one can put outfits together to capture a vibe or feeling that is still attractive and alluring over time.”

“It’s like dining; something may taste good,” she said pointing to her plate, “But will I remember it---that’s the key. You can buy a dress, or wine or a dinner, or you can start a business, but it’s what you do with it after that that determines the ultimate worth of the experience.”

Nikki is big on leftovers, taking something away from an experience whether it’s a boxed sandwich or a conversation. In business, Nikki is big on giving leftovers to the people who come to her boutique, something other than a dress or accessory.

“The ultimate worth is determined by whether your experience is memorable or not; everything else is market forces or opinion,” she says. “It’s just a transaction. Ultimately, the question of worth is about whether or not actions are remembered."