Thank you, Rufus

Rufus was our neighborhood cat
who would come for a visit and scratches.

My life recently changed dramatically and there are many things that I miss from my past life that no longer exist in my new life. One noticeably missing aspect is the neighborhood cat, Rufus. Rufus is a big, orange cat with huge paws that are painted white, like socks, and a white beard and belly. He's an outdoor cat so I am sure that Rufus can take care of himself and he's a big boy, too.

Rufus use to come visit us on our patio, say hello, and let us scratch him under his chin and on his belly. I was afraid of Rufus, at first, because he is so big with big paws. I thought he might swipe me, if I wasn't careful. For whatever reason, Rufus liked us and would come over for scratches and just purr away. His purrs are loud and like a machine when he gets going.

During one summer, his owner gave him a lion haircut and Rufus looked SO cute! His body and neck were shaved, but his head, paws and the tip of his tail were full.  It was funny, but adorable. I remember laughing out loud the first time I saw it. Poor Rufus.

I live in a new place now, but I think about Rufus, often. I never really liked cats, until I met and got to know Rufus. And, I miss him. I hope that whomever is living in our old apartment will be nice to him, if and when they see him. He is quite the friendly cat and a big part of what I miss from the old neighborhood. We use to look for him on a daily basis.

Thank you, Rufus, for being such a sweet, loving, kind and friendly neighborhood cat. I will always think of you when I think of Beachwood Canyon. You are missed. Be safe.

Restaurant Review: Border Grill

The Border Grill serves quality, authentic
Mexican food with a modern twist.

Lunch for two: $25
Cleanliness: Excellent
Location: Santa Monica
Food: Modern Mexican

One of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, and it has been for years now, is the always FABULOUS 'Border Grill' with locations in Santa Monica, downtown L.A. and Las Vegas.

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (of TopChef Masters) bring authentic Mexican food with a modern metro-twist that is always fresh and delicious. I miss the one that use to be on Melrose – what's wrong with L.A.? – but it hasn't stopped me from driving to Santa Monica for some of my favorite food in Los Angeles.

What made this lunch extra-special is the fact that it was a birthday lunch from my friend, Dizzy D. (I won't give her real name). We use to work together at one of the studios in Santa Monica and 'Border Grill' was always one of our favorite places to go for lunch – especially, on a gorgeous Friday afternoon. In fact, it still is. How could I say no?

To start, Miss D. had their famous Cadillac Margarita, mixed with Herradura Silver, freshly squeezed lime juice and grand marnier. I only had a coke. After all, I had to drive.

The Border Grill is one of my all-time favorite restaurants
in Los Angeles with locations in Santa Monica, downtown L.A. and Las Vegas.

But, for lunch Miss D. had the famous Fish Tacos, with chipotle honey and creamy salsa fresca. It looked DELICIOUS and Dizzy LOVED every bite. I had my go-to favorite, the Marinated Skirt Steak with a homemade corn relish, black beans and a salad. Always juicy and the tastiest meat in the city.

All in all, I would say that not only did Dizzy D. and I have a terrific time together in Santa Monica, but 'Border Grill' delivered, as we knew they would, a FABULOUS lunch at a reasonable price. If you haven't been, or haven't been in a while, I suggest you go...quickly. Border Grill is one of the few restaurants I will drive across town to eat at.

One of the most important aspects of the Border Grill restaurant, besides the delicious food, is their effort to host environmentally-friendly policies at their restaurants. They serve sustainable seafoods, as part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program. They use organic long-grain rice, beans and coffee. They have developed dishes with at least 80% plant-based ingredients to help lower greenhouse gas emissions. They use biodegradable to-go containers. And, they have a Natura water purification system, instead of bottled water transported from around the world.

One-stop Coupon Shop – CouponChief.com

Recently, L.A. Link was approached by CouponChief.com to review their site and to post an honest opinion about it. If you haven't heard of it, it's a one-stop coupon shop online for thousands of coupons!

TIP: Don't buy anything online without getting a coupon for your purchase to save a few bucks. There are online coupons for all your shopping needs. From free shipping to large discounts, if you spend a little time online, searching for coupons first, you're guaranteed to save yourself some dough!

One of the first things we noticed about CouponChief.com is the design: it's inviting, easy to follow, easy to search for the coupons you want and pleasant to be on – NOT cluttered with ads and garish colors. This is important if you plan on spending some time on the site for searches.

The next thing we looked at is the list of stores they have that offer codes. Everything from Amazon.com to ZGallerie, CouponChief.com has them all! You can shop by store name or popular tags to make your shopping experience as easy and pleasant as it can be.

But the one thing we noticed that sets CouponChief.com apart from the competition, is a feature called 'Pays-to-Share' – where you can make money by uploading coupons and share in the savings. Every time someone uses a coupon you've uploaded, CouponChief.com will give you 2% of the sales.

At L.A. Link, we LOVE saving a few bucks and we have bookmarked CouponChief.com on our computers and plan on giving them an honest try. If you already use CouponChief.com, we want to hear from you.

For more information or to start collecting coupons, please visit their website at CouponChief.com.

Restaurant Review: Venice Beach Wines

Located on Rose Avenue in Venice, California,
Venice Beach Wines is a delight!

Brunch for two: $45
Food:  Brunch and Gourmet Panini's
Location: Venice Beach
Quality: Excellent

It was a rainy day in Southern California, but I made it out to the beach this morning for brunch with my long time friend, Debi and her cute little dog, Nugget. Debi suggested we eat brunch at this little wine shop around the corner from her new place. I agreed, and to my pleasant surprise, the brunch was DELICIOUS!

I say to my surprise because the wine shop is literally this little shop with a small, but comfortable, outdoor patio – I did not expect much. But, when the food arrived – WOW! was it amazing! Debi suggested that we each order something different and share, so we did. We started with the scramble eggs served over baby spinach and topped with parmigiano reggiano, crispy shallots and truffle oil. A-MAZING! Our compliments to the chef – Ms. Ella Murphy.

Next, we split the multigrain pancakes with melted butter and vermont maple syrup, accompanied by two cups of coffee, two Mimosas and a side of applewood smoked bacon. It was the perfect brunch with the perfect company in the perfect little neighborhood that is Venice, California. Rain and all.

Debi couldn't stop raving about Venice Beach Wines, or VBW as their business card displays, and I can't blame her. I can see how great the place would be in nice weather, although we had a good time in the rain.

I highly recommend that you stop by VBW, have a drink and something to eat. You will be pleasantly surprised, too.

For more information on Venice Beach Wines (VBW) or to view their menu, please visit their website at www.venicebeachwines.com.