The San Francisco dining scene loves-loves-loves Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski’s Michelin-starred State Bird Provisions, with queues of locals and tourists regularly stretching down Fillmore Street for a taste of its renowned quail. The two restaurateurs haven’t strayed too far from their winning formula with the follow-up venue — at least in geographical terms. The Progress is right next door, and you can see the line of patrons waiting for a State Bird table running past the frosted window from inside its new sibling. Quite how they are going to pull-off the necessary crowd control when The Progress takes off to the same extent is anyone’s guess, so it’s worth getting in here quick while things are still not too hectic.
The Progress Theatre was a relatively short-lived venue, opening in 1911 and closing down in 1925, but the building remained and the name has too. Oakland studio Wylie Price has designed the two-level interior, with the standout feature being a contrast between one side of finely-contoured wooden slats and the other of exposed brick and concrete. The main dining area sits downstairs, while a mezzanine affords a couple of more private dining spaces above, and there’s a lovely little tile floor cocktail bar at the front. Everything about the place from the furniture upwards feels sturdy and solid, which is a good thing considering the amount of traffic The Progress is going to be getting.
Lamb merguez with yellow eye beans, octopus & crispy squid
Aromatic spiced squab with salted chilli paste
Photography, Ed Anderson
