You certainly can't fault Lucy's Ethiopian Restaurant for being overly fussy. This straight-down-the-middle first-generation Ethiopian eatery located in the former home of Raja's Mahal serves classic dishes in an unpretentious manner, with no frills, fusion twists or updates whatsoever. It lives and dies on its ingredients and technique -- and happily, it lives quite vibrantly.

On a recent visit, everything ordered was somewhere between satisfactory and delicious. The quality of meat was good, spicing was profound (pure, assertive notes of rosemary and cardamom appeared in several dishes without shouting down other flavors), and the injera refills were prompt. They were necessary, too, as the spongy bread-used-as-utensil was gobbled down quickly along with the contents of an abundant communal plate of food.

Lentil sambusas in a phyllo-style crust (six for $6) were delightfully flaky and crunchy, with brightly spiced filling. Far from a monotonous lentil paste, the interior of each pastry was like a vegetable garden in miniature, with tiny bits of still-recognizable produce each lending its own piece of flavor to the dish.

Lucy's Tibs ($12, available as chicken, lamb or beef) were irresistible. The term "tibs" refers to a method of sautéeing chunks of meat, and it can sometimes go awry when the spicing is too heavy or too light, or when poor-quality meat yields more gristle and bone than edible bites. Lucy's tibs (we ordered lamb) were quite tender and tasty, with a gentle kick of heat and a good overall balance of flavor.

The restaurant's Special Kitfo (finely chopped or ground beef that's spiced and served with cooked greens and a cheese reminiscent of a dry cottage cheese, $12.50) fell a bit short of the tibs. It certainly packed more flavor than mere ground beef, but not much more. The meat, the cheese and the greens were all relatively retiring in flavor, and the whole package felt as though it needed some kick. And the sight of a large bowl of ground beef flying solo in the middle of the table was a little visually distracting.

Better was the vegetarian sampler for two ($16), an assortment good enough that even the meat eaters among us said they'd come back for it. The shiro (berbere-spiced chickpeas and fried onions) was excellent and quickly decimated, as was a rich, soulful lentil-based dish.

Although Lucy's could use a bit of polish (a Web presence, a bit of menu editing and the removal of the loud television on the wall would all help), the spot's a gem in the rough for those who seek bold, satisfying Ethiopian flavors.