AAA Gives 2 Virginia, DC Restaurants 5-Diamond Rating

AAA has released its exclusive five-diamond list of restaurants and two restaurants in Virginia and Washington, D.C., made the cut, while 18 earned four diamonds. 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 Virginia and the District of Columbia:

• The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room in Washington, Virginia
• District of Columbia: Pineapple and Pearls

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 Virginia:

• The Old Mill Room, Charlottesville
• 2941 Restaurant, Falls Church
• L'Auberge Chez Francois & Jacques’ Brasserie, Great Falls
• Harrimans, Middleburg
• Lemaire and Shagbark, both in Richmond
• The Regency Room, Roanoke
• Becca, Salacia and Zoe’s, all in Virginia Beach
• L'Auberge Provencale, White Post
• Fat Canary and Rockefeller Room, both in Williamsburg

And these are the DC restaurants that earned the rating:

• Bourbon Steak
• Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi
• Komi
• Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier
• minibar by Jose Andres

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: AAA