I’ve become a huge fan of VeggieGrill on Sunset here in LA. It’s become a problem. Kind of like when I first discovered sushi in high school, and I would eat it everyday, sometimes twice a day. I could probably enter a V-Burger eating contest – similar to one of those grotesque hot dog eating contests they have at state fairs and the Los Angeles MTV offices – and bring home the gold.

But I digress.

Anyway, VeggieGril, for those who don’t know, is a restaurant here in LA that serves only vegan food, but much of their vegan food resembles traditional American fare like hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and carrot cake. Usually, I am not of fan of vegetarian or vegan foods made to look like meat, but in this case, I could be president of their fan club. I mean, their food is SO good. Orgasmically good.

They even offer a nifty service called “Curbside Pickup,” where, you order ahead, and as you are pulling into the parking garage, you call them, and they come down and meet your car in a pre-designated area.

But here’s where the situation got a little sticky last night…

I’d ordered dinner for me and a friend, and at the last minute, my friend asked me to change his side of steamed kale to a side salad. I called them, and as usual, they were very accommodating. By the time I was ready to hang up the phone (I was on a hands-free device, don’t get all freaked out), I was about to pull into the parking garage. “Hey, I’m just pulling into the garage, so just come down when it’s ready.”

“Okay see you in a few,” said the friendly voice on the other end of my bluetooth.

And so I entered the parking garage and started to wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, about 15 minutes later, I started to wonder what was going on. I took the elevator up to VeggieGrill, walked in, and sure enough, there was my food waiting for me like a kindergartner waiting for his Mom, who was clearly late to the pick up.

“I’ve been waiting down in the garage since we hung up,” I announced.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry,” said the man at the register. “I missed that you were already here when you called. My bad.”

And here is when VeggieGrill went from super yummy restaurant to epic pinnacle of all things in my world. The man at the register looked at the manager, who came forward and said, “Your meal is on us tonight, and for your trouble, here is a $25 gift card. Thank you for being a loyal customer.”

Amazing. Who does things like that anymore!?

I guess the old adage is still true: The best things come to those who wait.

No Comment.

Add Your Comment