The Auto Club of Southern California released its list of 2011 AAA Four Diamond Award restaurant and hotel winners today.
A total of 70 hotels and 34 restaurants earned the award, AAA’s highest rating.
A grand total of four restaurants from Riverside County made the list.
And San Bernardino County?
Um…zero. None. Zilch.
Sorry, Farm Artisan Foods.
Too bad, Le Rendezvous.
Maybe next time, Christophe’s.
Keep trying, Citrone.
Aim a little higher, BIN189.
And how did the other counties fare?
Let’s see…Los Angeles County tallied 11 eateries on the list. Orange County had seven. Ten are in San Diego County and two are in Santa Barbara County.
There’s only one restaurant on the list that I’ve ever eaten at, and that was about 15 years ago: Palm Springs’ Europa Restaurant at the Villa Royale Inn. It’s “only” been on the list for six years.
Rounding out the rest of Riverside County’s award-winners:
- Duane’s Prime Steaks & Seafood (at the Mission Inn), Riverside — 16 years on the list
- Wally’s Desert Turtle, Rancho Mirage — 18 years on the list
- Le Vallauris, Palm Springs — 18 years on the list
One bright spot is that San Bernardino County has two hotels on the list (Big Bear’s Alpenhorn Bed and Breakfast and the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa), although the press release places the latter in Riverside County.
So what does Riverside County have that San Bernardino County doesn’t have?
Award-winning restaurants, apparently.
Sigh.
Too bad, San Bernardino County restaurants. Perhaps 2012 will be your year.