Celebrity Sighting: Heidi!

“Is that…Heidi?”

Even though she doesn't wear dark glasses, Heidi is rarely recognized as a canine celebrity columnist as she makes her way around Studio City’s hottest haunts.  I mean, never qualifies as rarely, right?

But it finally happened Thursday at Marie Et Cie. coffee shop (southwest corner of Riverside and Colfax. Have liked the place ever since they once put up a sign that said: “Friends Don’t Let Friends go to Starbucks”).

The dog and I were there to pick up my usual— Marie’s tasty nonfat mocha latte, 12-ounce.  Heidi usually waits outside, leash tied to a chair in Marie’s lovely outdoor seating area. But today there was another dog there, a friendly looking black Lab. Heidi likes other dogs, but you never know what sort of turf battle two dogs in close quarters might inspire. I hesitated, but decided to walk in with Heidi anyway.  The two women sharing a table the Labrador said not to worry, it looked like we could  all get along.  They even offered to hold Heidi’s leash while I ducked inside for my caffeine fix. 

Then our big moment came: “Is that…Heidi?” one of the women gasped.  “Do you write articles for the Patch?  We love Heidi!”  They bubbled about our latest columns:  Tending to Heidi’s cousin Rusty out east, Heidi’s review of her portrait by Kathi Hilburn.  They also gave a shout out to Patch’s Garden Clippings writer Marla Hart, another favorite read.

Well, the Heidi and I were just tickled pink.  Forget about Kanye and Kim, or even that little teeny Prince Whatshisname in England—we were the celebs du jour with the crowd at Marie et Cie. ! After I got my not-Starbucks latte, we sat for a few minutes to talk about the “kids.”

Diana Berrones of Sherman Oaks and Carol Uden of North Hollywood had just returned from a Fryman Canyon hike with Lizzie (I don’t hike there with Heidi anymore because at age 11 it’s too much for the dog).  I heard that 5-year-old Lizzie the Lab was adopted from Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue.  Lizzie volunteers as a service dog.  Heidi (rather too self-absorbed to be any kind of service dog)  was too busy combing the patio for crumbs to pay attention. 

But we weren’t very good reporters that day.  I regretted that I didn’t have a camera with me, not even a cell phone, because in the past few months we’ve been gathering photos and stories for a Coffee Shop Dogs photo essay that we are posting today.   Well, at least we can mention Diana, Carol and Lizzie. Girls, if you read this, please add your photo.

And next time we go for a latte, we’ll bring a camera. You just never know who you’ll meet in a coffee shop in Studio City.