11 NJ Restaurants Among North America's Best: New Report

These are not just the best places to eat in New Jersey and the United States, AAA says. In fact, these restaurants are as good as any in Canada, Mexico and Central America.

AAA has released its exclusive five and four-diamond list of restaurants and a bunch of restaurants in New Jersey made the cut (see list below).

The ratings start with the five diamond list, released this past month, which includes just 67 restaurants in North America. Only three new restaurants - none in New Jersey – were added this year. In other words, just 0.2 percent of the nearly 32,000 AAA-inspected and approved restaurants were included on the list, AAA said in a release.

Meanwhile, more than 650 restaurants earned a four-diamond rating, equating to roughly 2 percent of restaurants inspected and approved by AAA (11 in New Jersey). And these restaurants are by no means slouches — they, too, offer a distinctive fine-dining experience and utilize creative food-prep techniques.

AAA noted that more restaurants have embraced a casual environment, as patrons are continually looking for a more relaxed experience. This means high-end restaurants have shifted toward simple and streamlined décor, and others now have lively open kitchen designs so diners can watch chefs work their magic.

“To be considered leading edge, chefs must incorporate a laser-focused approach using innovative concepts and menus featuring the finest ingredients,” Michael Petrone, director of inspections and diamond ratings, said. “Diners want to be wowed on multiple levels, so exceptional service is also important, but they’re not necessarily looking for all the formalities that were once synonymous with fine dining.”

One of the restaurants, the Pluckemin Inn in Bedminster, tells people to "join us for lunch, dinner, a casual drink in the Plucky Tavern or at one of our special wine events ... Paired wine dinners, special tasting menus, holiday event menus and more."

Here are the four diamond rated restaurants in New Jersey:

• Pluckemin Inn, Bedminster
• The Bernards Inn, Bernardsville
• Lu Nello, Cedar Grove
• Restaurant Serenade, Chatham
• Due Mari, New Brunswick
• Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
• The Frog and the Peach, New Brunswick
• Ninety Acres, Peapack
• Restaurant Nicholas, Red Bank
• The Manor, West Orange
• Il Capriccio, Whippany

See the entire AAA lists here.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.