Dominick’s Comes In Out of Freezer

“The owner had to buy the place lock stock and barrel,” said our waitress. “The freezer was filled with cases of frozen peas, and the bar was stocked with Lancers and Mateus.”

Looking around at Dominick’s (8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 855-9135), it’s easy to see why people came here to eat frozen food. With its bare wooden walls and its cozy little booths and its small bar complete with fish tank, Dominick’s looks like a roadhouse in a ‘40s film, and most of us would happily eat frozen peas here and be grateful for the ambiance.

But when the owner of Muse reopened the restaurant a couple of weeks ago, he decided to upgrade the eats. The food is still simple--steaks, chicken, grilled fish--but now the vegetables are fresh and the mashed potatoes have lumps.

Prices are fairly moderate--entrees from $10 to $19. I’d be happy if the food were a little more honest--a good hamburger instead of the skinny steaks, for instance, or even some good old red-sauced ravioli instead of these effetely al dente ones in their overherbed sauce. But I’m grateful just to be able to get in the door; in the old days, apparently, they wouldn’t let you make a reservation unless they knew your name.