About The Happy Fork

This website has grown from random notes sent via email, to a small list on my company website, Video Resources, to this (dare I use the word) blog. No matter the format, the purpose has been the same – sharing my enthusiasm for food and drink.
My favorite method of finding new restaurants is just driving around, finding the longest possible route to any destination with the hope of discovering a new food experience along the way. I also have been known to eavesdrop on people if I hear them describing a good meal somewhere. And of course, I read and watch everything I can in the food-related media. Mostly I keep my eyes open and my palate available as I explore the world around me. For other foodies out there, my published heroes are Merrill Shindler, Pulitzer Prize winning food journalist Jonathan Gold, Linda Burum, and Jane and Michael Stern.

My criteria for a good restaurant are eclectic, but always include attention to detail and fresh ingredients. Some of the best meals I’ve had were in simple, out-of-the-way Mom-n-Pop diners, where attention to detail and fresh ingredients are more important than fashionable flatware and fancy-schmancy decor. That said, I’ve also happily dined at the table of many a famous chef.

Many of the restaurants listed here are located in Southern California, where I eat most of my meals. I’ve also included a healthy serving of some of my favorite restaurants in other parts of the globe. You can also browse the list organized by type of cuisine. I occasionally share favorite food-related links, ranging from restaurant review sites, food info and history sites, other foodie pages like this one, as well as some cooking and wine-related links. The vast majority of the Happy Fork restaurant reviews are my own, but occasionally some of my fork-wielding friends share reviews of their own.

Please add your comments if you have visited any of the restaurants profiled in the Happy Fork. The best compliment to the time I invest in tracking and compiling these reviews is when someone follows the tips and lets me know they’ve had a grand meal. And do send me any “Must Try” foodie suggestions and I will point The Happy Fork that a way.

Happy meals,

Brad