UPDATE: since this post, doomie’s has closed for business. this is very sad news, and we hope they will be back up and running again soon. for old times’ sake, the original post on doomie’s follows. but please note, the restaurant is CLOSED.

It was late on a Friday afternoon, and I found myself wandering Skid Row on foot in Downtown LA. Don’t ask how I got there, what I was doing there or even why I’m writing this post (some things are best left unasked), but I was very glad that it happened to be my wedding anniversary and my wife, coincidentally, was with me.

We were tired, a little inebriated and more than a little hungry when we trekked through the ghetto to Chinatown towards Doomie’s. As always, finding the place is challenging, not least because it’s elevated off the street, has no visible signage (other than a windswept cloth banner) and the entrance is a foreboding set of steps surrounding a disused elevator that bring you to a patio above street level where you will wander into a dark, disused nightclub that looks like (and is about as welcoming as) back-stage when a band has finished playing.

Once the staff notice you’re there, you begin to realize that the book which is Doomie’s should not be judged by the cover of its approach. You will be welcomed by a knowledgeable server (in this case the daughter of one of the owners) who will stop at nothing to make sure you’re seated right and served so well.

Although there were only two of us, we were sat at a nice large table which had a great view of Chinatown and the Hollywood Hills, replete with our own heat lamp to ward off the dim December gloom.

From the extensive menu we chose some dishes that looked to be filling and tasty – and we were not disappointed.

country fried steak: this beefy, breaded bad boy comes smothered in our homemade country gravy! your choice of roasted reds or garlic rosemary mashed potatoes. $9.95

I plumped for the Country Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. Now, I’ve never had a real fried steak, but this concoction of seitan and crispy batter was so damn good I wolfed it down in a jiffy along with the perfectly creamy mashed potatoes.

The wife opted for the absolutely humongous “Meatball Samich” which is a gooey tomato sauce fest of firm meatballs, soft bread and tangy marinara. Oh, and the welcome side of onion rings were to die for.

meatball samich: our homemade meatballs smothered in marinara sauce and melted cheese! real cheese or make it vegan. $8.95

We cleaned our plates, and relaxed back full but not stuffed while we watched the shenanigans of Chinatown down below. At all times our server was there for us, and was cheerful and informative.

You see, the experience at Doomie’s is anything but Fine Dining. If you want that, go to Real Food Daily, stand in line for ages and pay $20 for an entree. If you are more focussed on tasty good value food and friendly service then Doomie’s will go the extra mile to ensure you’re satisfied.

Doomie’s has all the traits of a family business staffed by people who really care that you have a good experience. On the evening we were there we ran into Doomie himself, two generations of the owners and Doomie’s girlfriend. How often does that happen when you go out to eat?

Doomie’s again delivered wonderful service and (just like they say) “Home Cookin'” that is the perfect intersection of professionally produced restaurant food and the stuff that mom used to make. Only you don’t need your mom no more, as Doomie is there to cook for you, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll ask you to go tidy your room before he serves the food.