10 Calif. Restaurants Earn AAA 5-Diamond Rating

CALIFORNIA — AAA has released its exclusive five-diamond list of restaurants and 10 restaurants in California made the cut. The list, released Thursday, includes just 67 restaurants in North America and only three new restaurants were added this year. In other words, just 0.2 percent of the nearly 32,000 AAA-inspected and approved restaurants were included on the list, AAA said in a release.

Here are the restaurants that received a five-diamond rating in California:

• The Belvedere, Beverly Hills
• Manresa, Los Gatos
• Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant, Oakhurst
• The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento
• The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena
• Addison Restaurant, San Diego
• Benu, San Francisco
• Gary Danko, San Francisco
• Saison, San Francisco
• The French Laundry, Yountville

The organization noted that more restaurants have embraced a casual environment, as patrons are continually looking for a more relaxed experience. This means high-end restaurants have shifted toward simple and streamlined décor, and others now have lively open kitchen designs so diners can watch chefs work their magic.

“To be considered leading edge, chefs must incorporate a laser-focused approach using innovative concepts and menus featuring the finest ingredients,” Michael Petrone, director of inspections and diamond ratings, said. “Diners want to be wowed on multiple levels, so exceptional service is also important, but they’re not necessarily looking for all the formalities that were once synonymous with fine dining.”

Newcomers on the list include Altera in New York City, COAST in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and Oriole in Chicago.

Meanwhile, more than 650 restaurants earned a four-diamond rating, equating to roughly 2 percent of restaurants inspected and approved by AAA. And these restaurants are by no means slouches — they, too, offer a distinctive fine-dining experience and utilize creative food-prep techniques.

Here are the four diamond rated restaurants in California:

• The Grove Steakhouse, Alpine
• Napa Rose, Anaheim
• Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Beverly Hills
• Spago Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills
• The Blvd, Beverly Hills
• Cielo, Cabazon
• Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas
• Argyle Steakhouse, Carlsbad
• Vivace, Carlsbad
• Aubergine at L’Auberge, Carmel
• Alexander’s Steakhouse, Cupertino
• Raya, Dana Point
• Quattro Restaurant & Bar, East Palo Alto
• Farmhouse Restaurant, Forestville
• The Cellar, Fullerton
• Navio, Half Moon Bay
• Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg
• Madrona Manor Wine Country Inn & Restaurant, Healdsburg
• Studio, Laguna Beach
• AR Valentien, La Jolla
• Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, La Jolla
• George's At the Cove, La Jolla
• The Marine Room, La Jolla
• High Steaks Steakhouse, Lincoln
• Culina Modern Italian, Los Angeles
• Patina, Los Angeles
• Nobu Malibu, Malibu
• The Sardine Factory, Monterey
• La Toque, Napa
• Commis Restaurant, Oakland
• Olivella, Ojai
• Le Vallauris, Palm Springs
• Baume, Palo Alto
• The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse, Palo Alto
• The Raymond Restaurant, Pasadena
• Avant, Rancho Bernardo
• The Steakhouse, Rancho Mirage
• Wally's Desert Turtle, Rancho Mirage
• Mille Fleurs, Rancho Santa Fe
• Veladora, Rancho Santa Fe
• Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood, Riverside
• Dawson’s Steakhouse, Sacramento
• The Firehouse Restaurant, Sacramento
• Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop, San Diego
• Grant Grill, San Diego
• Mister A's (Bertrand at Mister A’s), San Diego
• Acquerello, San Francisco
• Alexander’s Steakhouse, San Francisco
• Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
• Big 4 Restaurant, San Francisco
• Boulevard, San Francisco
• Campton Place Restaurant, San Francisco
• Coi, San Francisco
• Jardiniere, San Francisco
• Kusakabe, San Francisco
• La Folie, San Francisco
• Lazy Bear, San Francisco
• Lord Stanley, San Francisco
• Michael Mina, San Francisco
• Parallel 37, San Francisco
• Quince, San Francisco
• Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
• Spruce, San Francisco
• Angel Oak, Santa Barbara
• Bouchon, Santa Barbara
• Melisse, Santa Monica
• Willows, Santa Ynez
• The Plumed Horse, Saratoga
• Murray Circle, Sausalito
• The Gathering Table, Solvang
• Santé, Sonoma
• Great Oak Steakhouse, Temecula
• ONYX Restaurant, Westlake Village
• The Village Pub, Woodside

(Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!) Also See:

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Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: AAA