Nothing in Los Angeles is cheap. Haute couture cheeseburgers and hobo chic ice cream have made satisfying a sugar tooth nearly impossible, not to mention financially compromising. Luckily there are still establishments in the greater L.A. area that believe in the down-home glory of baked goods, sans flashy names and high-end price tags. Diddy Riese is one of these places, offering comfort to the masses in the form of homemade cookies and ice cream.

Diddy Riese is located in trendy Westwood, walking distance from the UCLA campus. Nestled among the hookah bars and coffeehouses, the cookie shack is almost invisible if it weren't for the line of antsy college students and cookie aficionados that adorns the sidewalk.

But don't worry. The line moves quickly. A standing-room-only kind of place, Diddy Riese serves up fresh, warm cookies and brownies or premium ice cream. However, if it's the trademark Diddy specialty that you crave, order the ice cream sandwich. The best of both worlds, Diddy mashes a heaving scoop of ice cream between any two of its moist cookies … for one dollar.

One dollar. A pack of gum isn't even one dollar anymore. However, compliments of one Westwood enterprise, a single buck packs a new bang. If an ice cream sandwich isn't quite your craving, supplant three cookies or just a scoop of ice cream for the same buck.

Also, the diddy-dozen is vital in catering a party, road trip, or any solid weekend of munching. And the brownies reheat nicely. Diddy Riese also does not endorse a tax policy. Hand them a dollar bill. Get your cookies. Hit the road.

The only real obstacle between the cookies and the consumers is perhaps attire. Located in the heart of Westwood, Trojan football fans are advised to remove the cardinal and gold before strolling along the sidewalks. Expect disgruntled Bruins to vocalize their dissent.

However, one heavenly ice cream sandwich makes strolling through cozy little Westwood that much sweeter. The wax-paper wrapped gem of a dessert is the perfect predecessor to a movie or the perfect finale to a fine dinner.

If you're feeling bold, pick up a batch of three during the afternoon and wander in and out of Westwood's specialty shops and cafes. There is no reason cookies should be strictly a nighttime venture. Diddy is also ideal for a late-night pickup. Double-team the mission: have one person hop out of the car while the other circles the block.

Bye-bye overpriced Mrs. Fields. Say ta-ta to the do-it-yourself, pre-made and pre-wrapped poor excuse for a cookie that resides in the grocery store refrigerator section. However, be cautioned: too strong an affinity for the Diddy Riese cookie could leave you accepting a cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle as a breakfast food, and the Diddy-dozen may fill-in as the long lost sixth food group.

Diddy Riese is open daily until midnight and weekends until 1a.m. For more information, call (310) 208 0448.