Our passion for good food was fully sated at many Norfolk fine dining establishments

We spent many dates indulging on creative and budget-blowing dishes: rabbit pappardelle at The Dumbwaiter, coquilles St. Jacques at Three Ship's Inn, and elk steak at Ship's Cabin.

But our tastes weren't limited to Norfolk's haute cuisine: we enjoyed chilling out in Virginia Beach as well, whether sharing piles of steamed shrimp with Old Bay seasoning at Chick's Oyster Bar, fresh flounder at Sunset Grille, she-crab soup at Lynnhaven Fish House, or fried oysters at Sandbridge during a Nor'easter.

In December 1994, Amy and I (with the help of our friend Liz) hosted our first Christmas dinner party. We cooked all day to produce an undercooked crown roast of pork with unfinished, nearly raw stuffing and rock-hard "puffed" potato appetizers that became known as "potato pucks" — a culinary disaster! But the fun we three shared was the first time Amy and I realized that we simply loved creating and sharing happy moments with others by entertaining with food. The notion of "giving a good time versus getting a good time" became a core belief and, though we didn't realize it, we had established the foundational pillar of our Happy Boolo Project philosophy: Community.