Watching Bell walk into a laid-back café near her house in the Hollywood Hills is like watching Norm stroll into Cheers. She greets the hostess by name, makes a beeline for her favorite seat, and orders the K. Bell special: fried egg whites on rye with lettuce, tomato, avocado, a slice of cheese, and a whisper of mayo. “It’s healthy,” says Bell, who sports skinny pants, a plum blouse, and suede boots. “But the mayo gives it that diner feel.” (Something tells us she doesn’t do gravy fries.)

Ever since the star of the CW’s cult hit Veronica Mars moved on to juicier roles–as a femme fatale in NBC’s Heroes, the mischievous narrator of the CW’s Gossip Girl, and the lead in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the new flick from Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up)–she’s found it tougher to go unnoticed. Becoming a fixture at a neighborhood brunch spot is just one way she’s clinging to normal. Another tactic: staying in. Though she loves the occasional night out with her new guy, comedian Dax Shepard, she can usually be found playing Mario Kart with her four roommates. For this homebody, that’s life in the fast lane.

Your character on Veronica Mars was the “queen of geek chic.” Are you?
I’m a geek who loves fashion. There’s been a reinvention of the word geek. It means [being passionate about] anything that’s under the radar or sort of frowned upon, like Comic-Con.

Comic-Con?
It’s a giant comic book convention, and I’ve gone for the past four years to represent the shows I’ve been on. I have friends who wear Star Wars costumes and act like the characters all day. I may not be that deep into it, but there’s something great about loving what you love and not caring if it’s unpopular.

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