AAA Gives 3 Wisconsin Restaurants 4-Diamond Rating

WISCONSIN -- AAA has released its exclusive five-diamond list of restaurants and not a single restaurant in Wisconsin made the cut. The list, released Thursday, includes just 67 restaurants in North America and only three new restaurants were added this year. Three Wisconsin restaurants earned a four-diamond rating, however.

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 four-diamond rating in Wisconsin:

• The Immigrant Restaurant & Winery in Kohler
• L'Etoile in Madison
• Sanford in Milwaukee

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.

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.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Scott Anderson, Patch Staff