Maggie Baird has long advocated a vegan lifestyle and environmental awareness — values she has famously imparted to her outspoken and influential children, Grammy-winning bedroom-pop superstars Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. So, as businesses in her hometown of L.A. are forced to close their doors to the public due to the COVID-19 crisis, she has created a new initiative, Support + Feed, to help keep the local restaurant economy afloat — while also providing nutritious, plant-based meals to those in need, including healthcare workers, first responders, and residents at senior centers, homeless shelters, and women’s centers across Los Angeles.
Among the many restaurants participating in Support + Feed is Donut Friend, in Baird’s neighborhood of Highland Park, the kitschy rock ‘n’ roll donut shop founded by Rocket From the Crypt/Drive Like Jehu indie-rocker Mark Trombino. “You can ask for the ‘Billie Ache,’ which is a donut they make on the secret menu. It’s a gluten-free donut, with lemon curd and chocolate mousse and raspberry on top,” she chuckles. So, has Baird sampled this off-menu vegan pastry named after her daughter? “Oh yeah. It’s really good.”
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