Frank's Steak House

beowabbit and I ate sooo well last night. Now we know where Camberville's Old Guard goes for their steaks, chops and martinis.

Last week we wandered into Frank's Steak House on a quest for grilled flesh for the Meatasaurus Wabbitus. They were too busy to seat us without a long wait, so we made a date to come back and try it, this time with a reservation. It's on Mass Ave., in that stretch right behind Davis Square.

So glad we did. This is one of those old-school dinner institutions that is completely off the Davis-Porter hipster map. In the lobby are framed, autographed pictures of famous people who have eaten there, few appearing to date from less than 25 years ago (I think the wall filled up around 1980). The clientele was primarily long-time resident types, pre-senior and up, and we got the feeling that a lot of them probably come here as a weekly ritual. Nice jazz, nice booth, nice older waitress who said she likes working there so much that she drives all the way in from Reading (I think it was Reading. I'd had some wine.)

The steaks were tasty and inexpensive. We both had filet mignon with tarragon butter (mine petite, his full). Nothing fancy or off-beat, just plain good steak. The garlic cheese bread we had at the beginning was perhaps the best I've ever eaten. Salad and potatoes came with our meals (his was less that $20, mine was less than $10). The portions weren't hulking and wasteful, which I really appreciate. It was the amount of food a person might have been served in, say, the 1970s. Even with 4 cocktails on our tab, the bill was very reasonable. (My gallant sweetie treated me as a surprise. :-))

If you like simple, old-school dining in a semi-casual atmosphere (not dress-up-y per se, but don't bring your kids in their wet bathing suits), give this nice old place a try.