FRA'S ITALIAN GOURMET,

As the youngest of 10 children in a Calabrese-American household, with six older brothers away in military service, Bradford native Frank R. Algiere, now 67, was the one who ended up with many of the secrets of his mother's cooking. He particularly remembers the 30 loaves of bread she'd make at a time. Perhaps this is why he remains unfazed by making 125 loaves of focaccia each day at his bustling Misquamicut eatery, FRA's Italian Gourmet. And this, most likely, is why focaccia sandwiches are FRA's most popular item, bringing periodic requests from Block Island and elsewhere for a few to be sent over by ferry or other modes of transit. Our appetites reached past the sandwich menu when we arrived at this deli/cafe/pizza parlor on a recent golden sunny evening, after a leisurely drive down the twists and turns of Shore Road, with its peeks of shimmering salt ponds and white-capped surf. We eyed the deli case; we studied the pizza menu; we scanned the pasta dinner options.

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