Sardine Factory in Monterey served 2024 DiRoNA ‘Gold’ Award – Monterey Herald
The world-famous Sardine Factory in Monterey, announced this week that it has won the 2024 Distinguished Restaurants of North America’s ‘Gold’ Award of Excellence, identifying the Sardine Factory among the absolute best restaurants in North America. This year marks the inception of the DiRōNA ‘Gold’ Award, an elite designation achieved by only 16 restaurants across North America in its inaugural year. (Cannery Row Company)
MONTEREY – For 60 years, the Sardine Factory has stood out as one of the Monterey Peninsula’s most highly-rated dining establishments and this year marks its designation as a DiRoNA “Gold” Award recipient.
The 2024 Distinguished Restaurants of North America Gold Award of Excellence identifies the Sardine Factory among the best restaurants in this part of the world, with the elite designation bestowed on only 15 others. This is the first year of the DiRoNA “Gold” Award.
The Sardine Factory has been recognized with the DiRoNA Award of Excellence every year since 1993 and was one of the original restaurants to receive the award. Now it is one of the first to receive the inaugural “Gold” Award of Excellence.
“Winning this award and continuing to achieve the highest level of recognition possible is a great compliment to our servers and culinary team,” said Ted Balestreri, Sardine Factory owner and CEO, in a press release. “We always strive for excellence in our menu and in our service.”
The DiRoNA Award of Excellence symbolizes a restaurateur’s tireless efforts and commitment to providing an exceptional dining experience, according to the release. A restaurant bestowed with the ‘Gold’ accolade surpasses the standards set by a DiRoNA Awarded restaurant, recognized for its outstanding menu, curated wine and cocktail selections, impeccable service and fine dining ambiance.
“The attainment of this recognition is a testament to years of dedication and unwavering commitment to culinary excellence,” said Scott Breard, CEO of DiRoNA, in the release. “We are excited to honor these sixteen elite restaurants.”
The Distinguished Restaurants of North America awards fine dining establishments that pass a rigorous and anonymous inspection process, executed by a specially trained, independent panel of qualified professionals and distinguished dining connoisseurs.
Restaurant evaluations include a 75-point criteria developed by Cornell University which scrutinizes every aspect of the dining experience. It is the only independent and anonymous restaurant inspection program in North America.
North American fine dining establishments that pass a rigorous and anonymous inspection process, executed by a specially trained, independent panel of qualified professionals and distinguished dining connoisseurs.
The Sardine Factory was established in 1968 and is known for its service, décor, wine collection, locally-grown produce, sustainable seafood and USDA prime beef. Since its inception, the restaurant has hosted celebrities, movie stars, sports legends and public figures from around the globe. The restaurant was a location used in the first Clint Eastwood-directed film, “Play Misty for Me.”
The Sardine Factory has received many culinary, wine list and service awards in the industry throughout its history including Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Wine List in America, voted the Best Restaurant in Monterey by readers of the Monterey Herald, the Monterey County Weekly and the Carmel Pine Cone newspapers, and named Top Ten Most Romantic Restaurants on the Central Coast by Open Table, among many other distinctions, honors and awards.
DiRoNA was founded in 1990 and established to identify and honor exceptional restaurants across the United States, Canada and Mexico that provide an extraordinary dining experience.
In addition to the Sardine Factory, restaurants that received the 2024 DiRoNA ‘Gold’ Award of Excellence include the Anaheim White House Restaurant in Anaheim, Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH, Bohanan’s Prime Steaks & Seafood in San Antonio, TX, Brennan’s in New Orleans, LA, Cafe Central in El Paso, TX, Café Margaux in Cocoa, FL, Chandlers Steakhouse in Boise, ID, Dining Room at Langdon Hall in Cambridge, ON, Don Alfonso 1890 in Toronto, ON, Five Sails in Vancouver, BC, La Grotta Ristorante Italiano in Atlanta, GA, Restaurante San Angel Inn in Mexico City, Mexico, RingSide Steakhouse in Portland, OR, The Compound Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM and The St. Paul Grill in Saint Paul, MN.
