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AAA Five Diamond Award Restaurants
When the American Automobile Association (AAA) was created in 1902, what was solely meant to be an association for car and motoring enthusiasts would one day become a byproduct of the standard of all that is good in the hospitality industry. Yet when one thinks about it, the premise is not actually that surprising. After all, motoring enthusiasts will spend plenty of time on the road testing their beloved cars and motorcycles, and will therefore need to find unfamiliar places to stay and eat. They will also, naturally, want to tell their fellow members where is good for a meal and a place to rest their head; thus, the AAA diamond award system was created.
AAA diamonds are similar to the international standard star rating with hotels alone, though there are a few differences. Most lodging houses, from a simple bed and breakfast to the ornate grandeur of large hotel corporations, can rate on the star scale. With AAA diamonds, you have to be excellent to gain even one; the standard criterion is hard to meet in itself, never mind those that get above the minimum award. In 1989, the AAA extended these prestigious diamond award criteria to restaurants, and spawned the first generation of AAA five diamond award restaurants.
From that initial list, few have been added; receiving the AAA five diamond award is notoriously difficult, and the grading criteria is a mystery to seemingly all but the 60 plus full time inspectors the AAA employs to grade restaurants. To win an AAA diamond award rating, a restaurant must have a mixture of all the things one would expect: such as good food, service, ambiance, staff, cleanliness and a host of other requirements that only a select few restaurants can meet to the standard required to become AAA five diamond award restaurants. It's a long process requiring much time and effort, but the rewards are endless for those that have done enough to earn the AAA five diamond awards - the prestige alone could create a base client base.
The AAA determines its rating systems on an overall basis, with further requirements being added to elevate a restaurant from one star to the next.
The first level, one diamond, is described by the AAA as providing good basic food. These will be good standard eateries, which meet all of the criteria for non-food levels such as health, safety and cleanliness. One diamond restaurants are said to provide good, wholesome food at a reasonable price. The next level, two diamonds, requires all of the one diamond criteria to be met and more, and is best used for comfortable and affordable family meals.
The next level, three diamonds, is where life gets interesting; the AAA terms those with three diamonds as entry level fine dining. Here, highly trained chefs, a good wine list, excellent service and skillfully prepared traditional food is required. Four diamonds requires the same, but with further scope for dishes, wines and highly proficient service staff.
The final holy grail of the dining industry, the AAA five diamond award. These restaurants are termed as "haute cuisine" and should feature both traditional meals and sumptuous specials on their list, and everything else - from wait staff to ambiance should be perfect. A luxury dining experience.
Those fortunate enough to receive AAA diamond award ratings include some of the most recognizable restaurant names in the business, such the Beverly Hills restaurant in Los Angeles and Christini's in Orlando.
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