Press Releases
World-Famous Sardine Factory Again Wins Distinguished Restaurants of North America “Award of Excellence”
Sardine Factory achieves excellence in strict 75-point anonymous inspection
MONTEREY, CALIF. – The world-famous Sardine Factory in Monterey, Calif., announced today that it again won the Distinguished Restaurants of North America's (DiRoNA) "Award of Excellence," identifying the Sardine Factory among the very best restaurants in North America. The Sardine Factory has held this award each year since 1993 and is one of the original restaurants to receive the award.
"Winning this award and continuing to receive this highest of recognition for so many years in a row is a great compliment to our servers and culinary team. We always strive for excellence in our menu and in our service," said Ted Balestreri, Sardine Factory owner and CEO.
The DiRoNA Award of Excellence is bestowed upon 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 evaluation includes a seventy-five point evaluation criteria developed by Cornell University. This is the only independent and anonymous restaurant inspection program in North America.
The evaluation scrutinizes every aspect of the dining experience. Cuisine quality is the most important criterion in the decisions to confer a DiRoNA Award to a restaurant. The menu is examined for accuracy, variety of items, cooking techniques, creativity and originality, as well as for health and nutrition-oriented items. The food is evaluated on temperature, appearance and quality of ingredients. Beverages offered by restaurants are evaluated based on variety, availability, value and food affinity.
The service criteria evaluate guest interaction with the service staff, starting from the reservation process, greeting and seating, service throughout the meal and assistance with departure. The staff's knowledge of the menu is tested and their friendliness, attentiveness, cleanliness and attire are appraised. Finally, the restaurant's procedures for handling the check are evaluated by verifying that the check is a consolidated bill that is accurate, legible and professionally presented.
To be eligible for a DiRoNA award, restaurants must be in operation for a minimum of three years under the same ownership and restaurant concept, and once a restaurant earns the DiRoNA Award it must be re-inspected within four years in order to maintain the award.
Award winners must be re-inspected every four years to maintain the award.
About The Sardine Factory
Established in 1968, The Sardine Factory is known for its impeccable service, wonderful décor, extraordinary wine collection, fresh locally grown produce, delicious sustainable seafood, and USDA prime beef. Over the years The Sardine Factory has hosted celebrities, movie stars, sports legends, and public figures from all over the world. The restaurant was also one of the locations for the first film directed by Clint Eastwood, Play Misty for Me. The Sardine Factory has received virtually every culinary, wine list and service award possible in the industry, including the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award, Restaurant Hospitality's Best Wine List in America, voted the Best Restaurant in Monterey by readers of the Monterey County Weekly, Monterey County Herald, and Carmel Pine Cone newspapers, named Top Ten Most Romantic Restaurants on the Central Coast by Open Table, in addition to many other honors and awards. For more information, please visit sardinefactory.com.