The Progress - San Francisco

The Progress located on Fillmore street in San Francisco is the latest project from Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza. It is also the sister restaurant to the acclaimed State Bird Provisions, a Michelin-starred restaurant located just right next door.

Krasinski and Brioza won the 2015 James Beard award for best West Coast chef for State Bird Provisions, and Esquire magazine just named The Progress 2015’s best new American restaurant. The Progress is also listed a 1 Michelin star restaurant.

There’s no signage out front! Make sure not to go to State Bird Provisions next door where there is always a long line.

The progress is housed and named for the former Progress Theater, which was built in 1911 and closed in 1925. The space has been chopped up and reused in various ways over the years, including as a market and a clothing store. Krasinski and Brioza acquired it at the same time as next-door State Bird Provisions, but due to a number of change-of-use and licensing hurdles, decided to open State Bird Provisions first then once it became successful, they turned their attention to the latter space and turned it into The progress.

More than three years in the making to turn the empty place into The Progress and the result is a grand and modern restaurant.

View of the dinning room as you walk in from the bar. There is the main dinning room and a mezzanines, which offer a beautiful bird's-eye view over the dining room.

White wall with curved ceiling, wood lathe wall accents and white cinder-block walls. The rustic, earthy dinnerware is custom-designed by San Francisco ceramist Mary Mar Keenan

At The Progress, you get to choose 5 dishes, served family style to share from the prix-fixe menu at $62 per person.

Our server was really a nice guy! We offered him a glass wine and he seems to enjoy it too.

Tonight Hoa took me here to celebrate my birthday. Did not tell oure server as I did not want him to make a big deal of of it...

Another great dish! The octopus is cooked properly, not too tender nor chewy, just the right consistency and the kale chips was crispy and delicious.

Gorgeous presentation, however the taste is just okay. I thought the pea puree and the Meyer lemon butter noisette would give it more flavors but it is kinda of flat and did not elevate the cod.

One look and I know it was way overcooked for me. maybe it was meant to be eaten this way but it is not the way I like my meat.

Milk chocolat mont blanc, caramelized puff pastry, sweet azuki (type of red bean), coconut cream

The dessert was really good! Tasted like a donut with crunchy exterior.

the coconut cream, the sweat azuki was a good combination.

We ate it all!

Of course ending a meal without coffee will be a sin!

The progress has a really nice atmosphere and our server made us feel at ease right away. For a fine dining restaurant, table as set pretty close together but it's also less stiff and really relaxed. Service is very attentive and this is a nice place to enjoy your meal.

The progress is after all a 1 Michelin star so with that in mind and all that praise we have high expectation and maybe we set the bar too high.

We found The Progress to be creative, most of the dishes were delectable, very nicely decorated but the last two dishes (Cod and Lamb) fell short and did not meet my expectation.

Recently we dined at Al's place, also a 1 Michelin star, and if I have to compare I definitely think I had a better meal at Al's place vs. The progress.