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Chili Cheese Fries at The Veggie Grill

Just when you thought you had The Veggie Grill figured out – it’s tasty, but no, the meat isn’t real – The Veggie Grill surprises you. There’s a secret menu!

As with many secret menu items, these dishes are variations of items already on the menu. The one we tried were the chili cheese fries, which uses the restaurant’s signature sweet potato Sweetheart Fries topped with the Bean Me Up chili, vegan cheese and sour cream, and garnished with chopped tomatoes and parsley. This is a huge dish, so be prepared to either share it or to bring at least half of it home. The chili cheese fries are tasty but heavy. Who knew vegan food could be so substantial?

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Red velvet Baby Bundt. Photo courtesy of e*starLA.

My favorite bakery Kiss My Bundt is in dire need of some cold, hard cash. Owner Chrysta Wilson is asking, for the second time, for help from the L.A. cake-loving community so she can keep her doors open. Kiss My Bundt needs to sell 150 Big Ol’ Bundts (those are regular-size bundt cakes), which retail for $32, by Jan. 31 or else the store on W. Third Street will have to close. The bakery is behind on rent due to the craptastic economy, which as well all know has forced many a beloved store to shut its doors. Wilson asked for help back in November, too, which raised a bunch of money but not enough to pay the bills.

So go over to the store and buy a Big Ol’ Bundt, or buy the equivalent in Mini Bundts ($2.50 each) or Baby Bundts ($4.50 each) for your friends, family or co-workers. The menu has something for everyone, from red velvet to maple bacon, and the cakes are perfectly moist, something that I can’t say about some of the cupcake stores out there. I recommend the pumpkin spice with the cinnamon spice glaze (I prefer glazes instead of frosting, but that’s good, too), the Luscious Lemon Drop, and the chocolate banana. My finance, Rory, likes the German chocolate, and this says a lot because he is not a sweets person!

Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 West Third Street (at Crescent Heights Blvd.)
Los Angeles, CA 90048

To celebrate Halloween and the coming of fall, Valerie Confections is holding an open house all this week with free goodies for anyone who drops by its store. There are different sweets featured each day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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