Philip Pretty Flips Fundamental LA for New Long Beach Gig at Restauration

Chef Philip Pretty is no longer part of the team at Fundamental LA, the Westwood restaurant that initially helped to raise the Southern California native’s culinary star. Instead he’s landed at Restauration in Long Beach, an equally casual all-day option on 4th Street.

Pretty’s time at Fundamental brought a renewed sense of purpose to the diminutive restaurant, particularly during the dinner hour when the chef would pair surprisingly elegant dishes with Eater Young Guns winner Alicia Kemper’s offbeat wines.

The shuffle apparently happened a month or so ago, with neither side talking up the move until now. At Restauration, Pretty gets the opportunity to preside over a similarly easygoing 1,000 square foot restaurant, complete with large outdoor patio. The plan for now is for Pretty to bring the same level of technique that he’s become known for down to Long Beach, slowly reworking the Restauration menu over time.