On The Menu: Van Nuys café caters to the stars, offers delicious lunch and dessert

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Baked It Myself is a former bakery turned cafe and catering company.

“I believe that everybody should eat sweets every day,” said owner Cheryl Valesella.

Valesella said she created this business out of love and inside of her apartment. Customers can thank her dear friend and “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow for the idea.

“My dearest friend Lisa Kudrow said you need to start a baking company. So I made a coconut cake. I baked it, packaged it and delivered it to the set of ‘Friends.’ And the next day she said, ‘I got it, call it Baked It Myself so if I order from you I’m not lying, I can say I baked it myself’.”

Twenty-four years later, Baked It Myself offers a full lunch menu.

You’ll want to check out the tasty sesame noodle salad, complete with a marinated tofu, buckwheat noodles and avocado. It was created with vegans in mind.

And plenty of people have fallen in love with the hanger steak Panini.

“We get FEDEX drivers and UPS drivers. They stop by and they’re like, where’s that steak Panini,” Valesella said.

Topped with caramelized onions, aioli and provolone cheese, it is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The salmon trio and the Bim Bowl are two other top sellers.

“We are kind of known as the hidden gem of Van Nuys.”

Staying true to its sweet roots, every lunch order comes with a free cookie.

Baked It Myself caters to the stars, literally — cooking up lavish meals for Hollywood award season, screenings and events.

And for the everyday customer, you can pop in for lunch weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Erwin Street in Van Nuys.

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