Southern California Restaurant Writers, Inc., was formed in 1975 to improve the quality of the restaurant industry in this region. To further this objective, the organization bestows awards upon restaurants and individuals whose standards of quality and service deserve special recognition. These awards are presented at an annual ceremony and published for the general public.

Southern California Restaurant Writers has established a fund for scholarships to further the education of worthy individuals in the fields of restaurant service, the culinary arts, and enology. To honor the memory of two leaders in the Southern California restaurant world, Ken Hansen and Jean Bertranou, scholarships in their names are presented each year.

The award winners are were chosen from among restaurants stretching from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border, that were evaluated by our members during 2007. All were judged on food, service, ambiance and appropriate beverages, according to the organization's standardized score sheets, which have a scoring range of 1 to 100 points.