Some interesting data points for AAdvantage Dining Miles:

Spouse and I are both in this program, but I am a VIP (over 11 visits in one year) diner. I made EXP a few weeks ago (AAdvantage dining helped by 15K) and we are now concentrating on making my spouse at least a Platinum, hence- AA Dining for spouse.

However, when she, a non-VIP, logs in, there are many restaurants that show up on a general search, but then say "no benefits available" for any days!

You won't know this unless you click on each restaurant. Seems a pretty lousy trick to show up when they are not actually available for the program!

More interesting? Those same places are available to earn AA miles benefit to me, 7 days a week, as a VIP.

AA dining should consider listing those places as : "Earn Benefits Here Once You Reach VIP Status" or similar. I understand if they want to make MORE restaurants available to VIPS (per their website), but showing those restaurants that don't actually earn ANY benefits to non-VIPS? With no explanations? Yeah, no. It reflects badly on the restaurant in question, and the AAdvantage Dining Miles program. My spouse just assumed the places were victims of Covidicty and had actually closed. Boom: off the radar, removed from list of places to check out.

With regards to the 5x Bonus Miles that show up all the time:

Earning VIP level opens the ability to earn the 5x bonus miles that come around all the time (each restaurant choses to do this or not). You ALWAYS have to write a review to earn the bonus miles within 30 days.
MANY of the 5 bonus miles restaurants will not necessarily be sent to you via email so it pays to check on your local restaurants regularly to see if/who is offering any bonus miles.