This home-style restaurant serves genuine, no-nonsense, straight-from-the-boot cuisine that's everything it should be. The menu -- like the restaurant itself -- is small but satisfying, focusing on what the kitchen knows how to do well: Rigatoni al ragu wears a hearty meat-and-tomato "gravy" that's been slow-cooked to perfection. It appears again on the house specialty, the polpettone (literally "the big meatball," a moist, beautifully seasoned mound of beef accompanied by a cheesy potato-and-pancetta gratin) that's better than dessert in my book. The spaghetti with garlic and extra-virgin olive oil is a simple dish, but the pasta is ideally al dente and tossed to perfection with just the right bit of finely grated cheese; anchovy lovers should go with the fishy version for supreme pleasure. There's always homemade gnocchi and ravioli, plus spiced meat loaf and a couple of fish dishes. The wine list is well priced, with a good selection by the glass.

The young waitstaff is easygoing and earnest, and the brick-walled room is dimly lit and attractive in a cozy, homey way. On the downside, the tables are so close together that you can't help but overhear your neighbors' conversation; the open kitchen can make the dining room rather smoky at times; and there's often a wait (Vera, Frank's bar, offers a place to relax with a glass of wine). But these are minor inconveniences to bear for the marvelous payoff that is Frank fare.