Happiness is a Warm Meatloaf

Miss mom's cooking? Go to Home.

By Joseph S. Amster

It's a cold winter night, you're tired after a long day at work, and you just can't face another dinner of microwaved canned chili. You're longing for a home cooked meal, just like mom used to make -- savory, lovingly prepared, nothing fancy, and big portions. In a city where it seems like every restaurant is either serving wonderful ethnic specialties or offering up trend-setting creations, Home restaurant in Los Feliz fits the bill for a good square meal.

With an extensive menu offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, dining on their patio (heated for cold weather) or in intimate dining rooms could become an addiction. Start your day with selections that range from the healthy (egg white omelet with sautéed spinach, turkey, tomatoes, and goat cheese) to the indulgent (build your own benedict or a Monte Christo sandwich).

Lunch and dinner selections take up the bulk of the menu, and luckily the friendly and informative staff was patient and helpful in helping us navigate the selections. Our waitress had a good of sense of humor too -- when I asked if they had any specials that evening, she replied, "Everything's special!"

Appetizers include jalapeño poppers in a potato breading, chicken tenders, potato skins, bruchetta, and hot wings, but the standout was the Santa Fe egg rolls. They're a wonderfully light concoction of a lightly fried flour tortilla stuffed with chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, black beans, jalapeño, and red peppers. The result is a crispy outside and a creamy and slightly spicy inside, complemented by a cilantro packed smooth guacamole. Their soups are all homemade, with hearty tomato country vegetable and mom's chicken noodle always on the menu. Both were just the tonic on this cold night, packed with vegetables, and rich broth. Salads are dinner-sized, and include everything from the ubiquitous Caesar and Chinese chicken, to specialties like "Yummy in my Tummy" (a warm salad of sautéed chicken, tomatoes, onions, artichokes, baby spinach, and balsamic vinegar dressing) and shitake mushroom. Burger offerings include pretty much what you'd expect, but a standout to try is the ahi tuna burger. Home also has an extensive array of wraps, sandwiches, and homemade pizzas, but the dinner entrées are the definition of comfort food. Served after 5 p.m., none are over $19.95, with most falling around $12-$14. Among the 18 selections, standouts include southern fried chicken, barbecue back ribs, hot turkey dinner, and rib eye steak. I couldn't resist the savory meatloaf, which was packed with flavor from the mélange of meat and minced vegetables, perfectly accompanied by forkfuls of creamy garlic mashed potatoes. My dining companion had the flavorful half rosemary roasted chicken, which was juicy, tender, and infused with rosemary throughout. Desserts tempt with everything from a chocolate chocolate chip cake, chocolate banana cake, and mocha mud ice cream cake. Tonight, the carrot cake was off-menu, and fantastic. It showed restraint in spicing, wasn't overly gooey, and finished with a frosting that thankfully wasn't too sour.

Whether you're far away from the kin folk, or facing the parents isn't a fair trade for a good meal, there's always Home.