[Arun Sampanthavivat | photo by John J. Kim~Sun-Times]
Seven Chicago restaurants have snagged the AAA Five Diamond rating this year, the most of any U.S. city, the travel organization said Friday.
In addition, four hotels made the Five Diamond list, including two newcomers -- the Trump International Hotel and Tower, on the site of the old Sun-Times, and the Elysian Hotel in the Gold Coast.
More subdued than the release of the inaugural Michelin Chicago guide, the AAA ratings still hold much weight in the white-tablecloth world. Charlie Trotter's, which was awarded two out of three Michelin stars, has had five diamonds for 17 years now. Arun's, a five-diamond winner for the ninth year and largely considered one of the best Thai restaurants in the country, didn't see any Michelin stars. The other five-diamond restaurants are Alinea, Avenues, Everest, Seasons and Tru.
The Peninsula (home to Avenues) and the Four Seasons round out the Chicago hotel list.
Sun-Times Food editor Janet Rausa Fuller is always thinking about her next meal.
Way to remember your paper's history, mentioning that the Trump monstrosity was built on the site of the old Chicago Sun-Times tugboat.