Village eateries cater to pocketbooks

  Daily Bruin File Photo Customers head toward Diddy Riese
in Westwood, known for its cookies and ice cream sandwiches.

By Kelly Rayburn and Josh Wolf
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Westwood Village might be the only place with a sandwich stand
nicknamed “buck fitty” or a cookie store which still
sells cookies for a quarter.

UCLA students, often strapped for spending money and time, have
many cheap and convenient food options close to campus, including
“buck fitty,” officially named Roll-Inn Sandwich,
Tommy’s and Diddy Riese. But the village also features more
expensive, sit-down restaurants for those occasions when students
wish to splurge on a meal.

Good service, late hours and cheap cookies, make Diddy, located
on 926 Broxton Ave., an attraction for students. And with other
community members heading into Westwood for its cookies as well,
the store is often busy until it closes at midnight.

Diddy Riese, named after the owner’s grandmother, offers
many different cookies and ice cream flavors, but for experienced
students, deciding on an order becomes routine.

People invariably develop personal favorites.

“I recommend symmetry ““ chocolate chip ice cream
with chocolate chip cookies. It may seem boring, but I like
chocolate,” said Nicole Chretien, a third-year microbiology
student.

Second-year physics student Darin Nee has a different
outlook:

“I don’t go for chocolate chips because they melt
all over my fingertips. My recommendation is nuts or just
cookie,” he said.

Even with this range of preferences, students seem to agree that
the best part about Diddy Riese is its price.

“It’s cheap,” said Nee.

But Diddy Riese isn’t the only cheap food place in
Westwood.

If it’s a cheap breakfast that students are after,
Headlines, on Kinross Avenue, offers “Joe’s
prescription breakfast” ““ two eggs, bacon, potatoes and
toast ““ for $3.25.

Students can also grab a chicken or beef 12-inch burrito at
Tommy’s for $3, buy cheese pizza by the slice for $1.65 at La
Monica’s New York Pizza, or for $2.25, get an 8-inch sandwich
at Roll-Inn ““ the store which was first nicknamed
“buck-fitty” when sandwiches cost $1.50.

Roll-Inn remains a popular destination for hungry students, even
after city officials temporarily shut it down in February because
of a cockroach infestation.

Second-year biology student Victoria Tai said she likes to go to
Roll-Inn for a quick bite.

“It’s really convenient,” she said. “You
can walk there, it’s close. You can go there when you only
have an hour between classes.”

Tai said she also likes restaurants like BJ’s Pizza and
Grill or California Pizza Kitchen when she has time to sit down
with friends.

Westwood is also home to some upscale, more expensive
restaurants for special occasions.

Eurochow, located on 1099 Westwood Blvd., opened in 1999. The
dome-shaped building that houses the restaurant was constructed in
1929 and is now a historic landmark.

Since its opening, Eurochow, which features a glass dining room
floor, has served many movie stars, including Drew Barrymore, Tom
Hanks and Denzel Washington.

But be prepared to dole out some money.

Eurochow’s main courses range from the grilled portobello,
which costs $15.95, to the grilled veal chop, at $24.95. Pasta
dishes, pizzas, soups and appetizers are available at cheaper
prices.

Another new arrival to Westwood, the Glendon Avenue Napa Valley
Grille, opened in January and strives to have its clientele
experience wine country while they dine.

Spacious patios and fireplaces contribute to its ambiance.

In May, Los Angeles City Council candidate Tom Hayden held a
$500 per person fundraiser there.

At the Grille, main courses cost $16.95 and up ““ much more
than a “buck fitty” sandwich.