AAA has released its annual Five Diamond Awards for the country's top hotels and restaurants, and, fun fact, according to AAA, the five diamond designation is "North America’s most coveted symbol of excellence in the hospitality industry."
Of special note for our purposes here is the restaurant side of the list, which is in itself is a strange and curious beast. Broken down by state and then city, Chicago leads the pack with seven honorees (Alinea, Arun's, Avenues, Charlie Trotter's, Everest, Seasons, Tru), New York only has three (Aureole, Daniel, Jean Georges--no Per Se), San Francisco has two (Gary Danko, the Ritz) and Los Angeles has as many representatives as Chandler, AZ and Fearrington Village, NC (one each).
The list (note: Numbers indicate consecutive years as AAA/CAA Five Diamond Award winner)
Arizona2010 AAA Five Diamond Restaurants [.pdf]
CHANDLER
Kai, 4
California
BEVERLY HILLS
The Belvedere, 15HEALDSBURG
Cyrus, 4
(in Les Mars Hotel)OAKHURST
Erna's Elderberry House Restaurant, 14SAN DIEGO
Addison, 2SAN FRANCISCO
Gary Danko, 7
The Dining Room at the Ritz, 14YOUNTVILLE
The French Laundry, 5
Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS
The Penrose Room, 3
District of Columbia
WASHINGTON
CityZen, 4
Florida
LAKE BUENA VISTA
Victoria & Albert's, 10
PALM BEACH
L'Escalier, 9
The Restaurant at The Four Seasons, 15
Hawaii
HONOLULU
Chef Mavro, 2
La Mer, 20
Illinois
CHICAGO
Alinea, 4
Arun's, 8
Avenues, 4
Charlie Trotter's, 16
Everest, 14
Seasons Restaurant, 10
Tru, 10
Kentucky
LOUISVILLE
The Oakroom, 12
Maine
KENNEBUNK BEACH
The White Barn Inn Restaurant, 18
Massachusetts
BOSTON
L'Espalier, 11LENOX
Wheatleigh's Dining Room, 5
Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS
The 1913 Room, 8
Nevada
LAS VEGAS
Alex, 5
Joe?l Robuchon, 4
Le Cirque, 7
Picasso, 9
Restaurant Guy Savoy, 2
New York
NEW YORK
Aureole, 13
Daniel, 11
Jean Georges Restaurant, 12
North Carolina
FEARRINGTON VILLAGE
The Fearrington House Restaurant, 15
Pennsylvania
FARMINGTON
Lautrec, 3PHILADELPHIA
Fountain Restaurant, 16
South Carolina
SUMMERVILLE
The Dining Room at Woodlands, 14
Texas
DALLAS
The French Room, 21
Virginia
WASHINGTON
The Inn at Little Washington Dining Room, 22
Washington
WOODINVILLE
The Herbfarm Restaurant, 8