Heritage has done what no other Long Beach restaurant has accomplished: not only earning but retaining its Michelin star for four consecutive years.
The space, helmed by Chef Philip Pretty alongside his sister and co-owner Lauren Michaelis, once again earned one of the culinary world’s highest honors, reinforcing that its initial recognition was never a fluke but the result of relentless consistency, technical precision, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability.
“It was such a lovely ceremony at the beautiful Eve, one of the newer event spaces in San Diego,” Lauren said. “OpenTable hosted a fun after-party as well—and I can see why Michelin chose San Diego this year. The whole night left feeling inspired and grateful, and to connect with some genuine culinary greats. If I am being honest, I hope one day our city gets the opportunity host the ceremony… I feel very grateful for our team, vendors, and guests. It definitely takes a community, and it feels really good to have retained it for four years in a row now.”
That fourth straight star carries weight far beyond the walls of Heritage. Michelin does not reward novelty alone—it rewards the ability to deliver exceptional cooking, year after year, under ever-increasing expectations. Maintaining a star is often considered more difficult than earning one in the first place. Inspectors return anonymously. And they expect the same exacting standards every visit. For Long Beach, Heritage’s continued recognition is proof that the city is no longer merely an emerging food destination but one capable of sustaining a restaurant operating at the highest level. (With the talent to handle it, as I feel was tangibly shown with the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe.)
Chef Philip, Lauren, and the Full Belly Group keep growing in all the right ways.
In turn, Philip and Lauren Pretty have become not just ambassadors for their own restaurant but standard-bearers for innovation.
With the creation of their Full Belly group—which oversees Heritage, Heritage Farm, and their sister restaurant, Olive & Rose—Philip and Lauren have quietly built one of Long Beach’s most comprehensive hospitality ecosystems. It is one that links fine dining, sustainable agriculture, education, community gathering, events, and approachable neighborhood dining into a single philosophy. Yes, Heritage remains the flagship—but Heritage Farm has become a living extension of the restaurant’s values, producing ingredients while serving as an event venue that reconnects diners with the origins of their food. Meanwhile, Olive & Rose translates that same commitment to seasonality and thoughtful sourcing into a more accessible, everyday experience, proving that sustainability and high-quality cooking need not be reserved for white-cloth dining alone.
In many ways, the pair have created something Long Beach has rarely seen: a restaurant group whose impact is measured not simply by the number of concepts it operates, but by how deeply those concepts are woven into the fabric of the city itself. Rather than expanding for expansion’s sake, each venture reinforces the others, creating a model in which farming supports restaurants, restaurants support local producers, and hospitality serves as an avenue for environmental stewardship and community engagement.
Even more, hospitality model rooted in place—one where chefs act as farmers, restaurateurs become community builders, and success is measured as much by what is cultivated locally as by what is plated in the dining room.
Heritage: From sandwich shop to Michelin star—a Long Beach story if there ever was one.
Tucked inside a century-old Craftsman in Rose Park, Heritage opened quietly in 2020. And it opened as a sandwich shop.
It was a sharp, business-smart move on the part of the Prettys: sidestepping over-refinement while dialing up comfort, Pretty and his crew built the kind of sandwich shop Long Beach had quietly hungered for. Tucked into what felt like an old house-turned-hangout, folks sat at picnic tables lining the grass and tore into food that looked simple on the surface—but was anything but. (Chef Philip even brought back his rightfully loved brisket sandwich years later post-sandwich shop.)
Heritage then pivoted to something Chef Philip always wanted: Something a bit more elevated. Heritage, as the non-sandwich shop it became, was and remains the labor of love for Chef Philip Pretty and Lauren. They paired a refined multicourse tasting menu with nearly monosyllabic hospitality: no tableside theatrics, no menu clutter—just intentional, elegant cooking that reflects Philip’s 20-plus years of kitchen mastery.
In July 2023, everything changed: Heritage became the first Long Beach restaurant to earn a Michelin star. It was and remains a distinction that elevates Long Beach on the culinary map. And, much like the placement of Ammatoli, Selva, Tacos La Carreta, and Sonoratown on Bill Addison’s 101 list throughout the years, affirmed what many already knew: Long Beach punches well above its weight class. All that while running a true zero-waste operation, powered by Heritage Farm just up the street.
The Attic, Chiang Rai maintain mentions; no other Long Beach spaces return or make the cut.
Last year, both Sushi Nikkei and HiroNori were entirely omitted from the guide. And that has not changed.
The Attic and Chiang Rai, while not being dubbed a Bib Gourmand status as Chef Thomas Ortega’s Amor Y Tacos has yet again, are mentioned in the 2026 California Guide.
