Question: I've tried steak at upscale steakhouses and family-oriented chains, and they're OK. But where can I go for an old-fashioned steak dinner without frills and fancy service and without kids running around?

        Answer: There are two steakhouses that fit that description. Both have been serving steak the old-fashioned way for decades. Both, unapologetically, look it, too, with scarcely touched decor and menus. Both have great steak.

        • Maury's Tiny Cove in Cheviot is more than 50 years old, doesn't take reservations and it names its steaks and sandwiches for local sports teams. After visiting a few years ago, my recommendations were the shrimp cocktail, fried mushrooms, salad with Thousand Island dressing, the Cavalier sirloin, potato cakes and a martini. Or a couple of martinis. 3908 Harrison Ave., 662-2683.

        • F&N Steakhouse in Dayton (Ky.) is even older, founded in 1929. Owners have settled in pretty well, building on to the rambling house. It has been some time since any major changes were made (love the fire hose in the entryway). It serves excellent prime rib,and the sirloin is good, too. You start your meal here with a pile of fried eggplant sticks with a zesty horseradish-spiked cocktail sauce. Ky. 8 E. (859) 261-6766.

        • One more choice, in Dayton, Ohio: The Pine Club has a long-standing reputation for no-nonsense steak dinners. 1926 Brown St., (937) 228-7463.

        Questions or comments to dining critic Polly Campbell by fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pcampbell@enquirer.com.

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