Michelin Has Some New Additions To Its New 2023 California List
California has been in the market for positive restaurant news ever since the horror stories surrounding the celebrity-magnet LA bistro Horses were revealed to the public in a Grub Street report. (Keyword: alleged pet murders.)
The state got its wish on Tuesday, July 18, when the Michelin Guide announced its 2023 list of top restaurants in California, including several in the L.A. area. This year's guide to Golden State dining features 614 restaurants in total, 87 of which have been awarded one or more of the guide's coveted stars.
Heritage, co-owned by siblings Philip and Lauren Pretty, is a standout on the list, as it's the first Long Beach restaurant to earn a star. It's built on a sustainable, zero-waste model and sources much of its menu from its own nearby farm, which also earned it a special "green star." The six-course tasting menu changes frequently; current offerings include dry-aged duck breast with preserved kumquats and roasted beets, plus charred strawberries and yuzu granita.
Reinventions of Mexican, French, and California-inspired cuisine
Aside from Heritage, the Oceanside Mexican restaurant Valle is the only other Southern California restaurant to earn its first Michelin star in California this year. Located in the Mission Pacific Hotel, the restaurant offers a four-course prix fixe crafted with a "modern expression of Mexican cuisine" in mind, according to Michelin Guide. Diners shouldn't miss out on the tetelas, triangular pockets of corn masa stuffed with chanterelle mushrooms and goat cheese.
Only six restaurants were honored with three stars this year. Unsurprisingly, Chef Thomas Keller's renowned farmhouse restaurant The French Laundry is still among them. It also has a green star, thanks in part to its "innovative solar and battery system."
San Diego's "playful yet polished" nod to California cuisine, Addison, is another three-star pick. San Francisco's Quince (another place that specializes in contemporary California-inspired fare), Benu (which takes cues from various Asian cuisines), and Atelier Crenn (which drops a French touch on its dairy-free, pescatarian menu) are also at the top of the list.