The Progress

If you like state bird, you’ll most certainly like this restaurant.
The space is open and charming and bright. It’s perfect for either a date or just simply a night out.
The service is top notch, of course. The servers were all gracious and lovely. I love restaurants where everyone seems to love what they do and you get that vibe here.
The food was simply amazing. Everything was so tasty, done perfectly, and presented beautifully. You can tell there is so much pride that goes into the preparation.
Overall, pricing is fair and to be expected from a lovely SF restaurant. The only downside is you’re restricted to a certain amount of items on the menu. Downside meaning, I wanted to try them all!
Definitely a place to try at least once.

I rented out the balcony for 10 people for my boyfriend’s birthday on a Saturday night. The table was quiet and spacious. We were seated promptly at our reservation time, 8:30. For the balcony, they require a minimum of $ 550 spent.
As my boyfriend’s friend said, «Kate is great!» She was very excited about the food, professional, and knowledgeable. One example of how thoughtful she was, was that when I asked her to take a group picture, she took the time to clear the table of all the menus, since it looks better that way.
We had kiwi and almond allergies at our table. Both ingredients appeared on the menu but they asked when we sat down if there were any allergies, and they either removed the ingredients from the dish or gave a completely different dish. For example, one person didn’t eat pork so they made her a vegetarian roti, which looked amazing and she said tasted great.
The food:
bahri dates with hazelnut crema — dates were too sweet for me
roasted carrots with curried yogurt — so refreshing
hodo soy tofu with turmeric kohlrabi — this dish surprised a lot of people
buttermilk biscuits with apple bourbon black butter — so rich and decadent
crispy pig’s ear with fiscalini — best snack ever… I wish I had a whole bowl of it
super fresh ricotta local kiwi, rosemary almonds & toasted garlic
chioggia beet salad quinoa tabbouleh & yuzu vinaigrette
rustic pork, seaweed & clam broth shungiku, yuba & potato
sunchoke roti pleasant ridge reserve, ranch & grating of black truffle
burnt cinnamon-​vanilla bean floating island pineapple sorbet, black sesame & banana
pistachio stack cake mascarpone apricot cream, cocoa noyaux syrup, greengage plum — everything up to this cake was incredible, but the cake was just nothing special and one dimensional.
For 7 courses, not including the snacks at the beginning. Cocktails and coffees and gratuity together came out to $ 125 per person. I would totally have another party here again; this was an exceptional meal and experience. Thanks for making my boyfriend’s bday one to remember!

Unbelievable service! From the host, to the bartender to our server, absolutely awesome service. Everyone was friendly, funny, and knowledgeable.
The cocktails were SO good. Definitely start there! The bar tenders will pick the right thing for you if you have doubts.
Dinner: the small dishes are amazing. I could have just had a million servings of each for dinner and been happy! The main courses were hit or miss. You were either blown away or indifferent about them which was a bit of a bummer.
I’d skip the Roti and the Ranch beef if I go back. Definitely order the Grits! We almost passed on them, but it ended up being everyone’s favorite dish!
We had a bit of sticker shock when we received the bill, but it was such a great time and a cool experience that it didn’t hurt too badly.

The food here was SUPER mediocre. Almost everything was heavily flavored with Liquid Smoke, which is fucking gross. Oysters-​Liquid Smoke, and drowning in kelp, Rabbit-​Liquid Smoke and overcooked, Octopus-​Liquid Smoke and chewy/​tough, Celery Ravioli– no Liquid Smoke but pretty basic and generally gross, Grits-​Liquid Smoke but not terrible. Calamari was pretty dope and the Caviar was fucking phenomenal. Don’t waste your time and money here … unless you SUPER love Liquid Smoke.
p. s. Desserts sucked it too

Wow, when your husband looks up at you after receiving the bill and says, «That was a really good deal for what we got,» you know you made a good pick. Only trouble was when he told me it was only $ 57 for two dinners, one extra app, two cocktails and a glass of wine. I had to break the news that they’d left off a «1» or possibly a «2» in front of that, haha. Turns out they’d accidentally only brought us the bar tab, which was perhaps slightly high in my opinion, but all in all we ate some good food.
Starting with the five little amuses bouches:
bahri dates with hazelnut crema– a little underwhelming, the crema was very light on flavor, and the date had an out of character softness
roasted carrots with curried yogurt-​mahvelous, for those of us fascinated with miniatures, these were the tiniest carrots I’ve ever seen, but they were sweet and earthy and the yogurt had the silkiest texture
fish fry with kimchi tartar sauce– very good, tiny crispy fresh little fishies with a knockout tartar, just the right balance of tart, pickly, and mayonnaise-​eness
Maple slow cooked bacon– this was perfectly cooked with a good meaty chew and crisp fat. I’m not a big maple fan, otherwise this would have been a knockout
We got one optional starter for an extra $ 10, which was a lime foam with crispy potatoes and caviar. I got it for the caviar, which was almost nonexistent. I would pass on this next time.
Here are the four selections we made:
steak tartare, truffle aioli, shaved kohlrabi& buttermilk crackers: Very well executed. the chop wasn’t too fine. (I hate when it’s like ground beef.) The truffle aioli was exquisite. I’ve never thought truffles were all they’re cracked up to be (even though I’m a total fungiphile), but this lived up to the hype. This is a must order
rustic pork, seaweed & clam broth shungiku, yuba & potato: Again an incredible dish the broth had such deep flavor from the clam and pork combo, with just a hint of heat. The bowl it was served in made it a little awkward to eat, though, and each of us had an unopened clam. When you only get about 5 of them, it’s not right if you get one punk
devil’s gulch rabbit smoked prune romesco, guanciale, roasted turnips & chicories — all I can say on this one, is I wish there were more. With only two petite pieces of rabbit, we didn’t really get to know the flavor very well
crispy squid and octopus with merquez sausage — we loved the cephalopods, but the sausage was quite dry and therefore not that tasty. I don’t know if it was house made, but it definitely needed more fat.
The service was a bit spotty. The layout of tables for two, with some of them of them placed right at the edge of the larger booths was just plain weird. We were seated in one of those initially adjacent to a table with 5 five young, very loud women. Fortunately we moved and though packed in pretty tight on the wall of two tops, it was quieter. We quickly made friends with our neighbors when their Virgin Sunny Jim got delivered to my husband, instead of his non virgin one. I already mentioned the bill snafu, which our waiter handled gracefully. I think at one point or another we were served by every server in the house. I don’t care for this type of free for all arrangement, because it’s hard to know who’s point person when you need something. However after some initial confusion, we adapted. I would definitely go back. Lots of things I’d like to try. Biggest negative, TOO EFFING LOUD. They need to put in some sound absorbing materials
Food: ³⁷⁄₄₀
Service: ¹⁶⁄₂₀
Atm/​Intang: ¹⁴⁄₂₀ for noise and seating arrangements
Value: ¹⁹⁄₂₀
Overall: ⁸⁹⁄₁₀₀ doesn’t quite make it to the fifth star, maybe next time

Dinner review.
Dates with hazelnut crema — ⁵⁄₅
Radishes with sesame goat butter — ³⁄₅
Biscuits with apple Bourbon butter — ⁴⁄₅
Pickles with Buttermilk — ³⁄₅
Pepper lonza — ⁴⁄₅
Ponzu scallop — ⁴⁄₅
Sunchoke artichoke roti — ⁵⁄₅ — 7×7
Fried rice with tea duck and lap cheong — ⁵⁄₅
Rabbit with smoked prune — ³⁄₅
Beef with butter squash and brussel sprouts — ⁴⁄₅
Burnt cinnamon floating island pineapple sorbet black sesame banana — ⁵⁄₅
Pistachio stack cake mascarpone apricot cream cocoa syrup — ⁵⁄₅
Overall, «as good as it gets.»

The Good:
+ Innovative dishes, but I can’t comment much since the menu is rotational based on ingredients
+ Excellent freshness on ingredients and produce
+ Experimental dishes don’t disappoint and offer great contrast in flavors you would not have dared to pair together
+ Family style is made easy with the lazy susan and the price fixed menu
The Not So Good:
— Wish they focused a bit more on the proteins. We were only offered snapper and chicken as part of the prefixe. Wish they were able to brand out to more adventurous proteins inclusive of red meats.
— Service was excellent, but we had a few extra charges on our check that would have gone through if overlooked.
Bottom Line:
Overall, we had a great experience at The Progress. The dishes are quite simple, but the execution and quality of the ingredients is amazing. Something as simple as a carrot or quinoa showcases the flair and creativity of the head chef. Truly a ‘farm to table’ experience as much as I hate to use that word. Great for sharing and doing family style.

The long line for their sister restaurant next door, State Bird Provisions, had me even more excited to try The Progress. Fortunately, we had a 5:45pm reservation. We walked in and the place was jam packed. I was surprised since they open at 5:30 and in less than 15 mins it was a full house with patrons already waiting for a table. The host was friendly and sat us right away.
As a mom of a toddler it’s often difficult to go to a «nice» restaurant these days. I quoted nice because anything other than our usual Japanese weekday lunch special is a treat. The Progress on my nice scale was beyond what I’ve had in awhile. My mother-​in-​law was in town and it was her idea to try this place. It’s not exactly «kid-​friendly» but they do have high chairs and my daughter was a perfect angel. As long as she has some munchies she’s great at restaurants. The dress code is casual but I’m leaning more towards smart casual as 90% of the people there were trendy and appeared to be on a date. When I return, I’ll certainly leave the little one at home.
We tried the fried rice, wild mushroom & farro spezzato, roti and beef. Every dish delivered unique flavors throughout but my favorite was the beef. Perfectly cooked and complemented nicely with brussel sprouts and squash. I somehow managed to make room for dessert and tried a more savory option. The manchego cheese melted on puff pastry topped with Asian pear and honeycomb was a delightful finish. Light and not too filling yet had the right amount of sweetness.
5 star experience and food. Must try.

They were more than happy to make accommodations to the menu for my vegetarian ways. The snacks were quite lovely and almost all of the «family» style dishes were very tasty. I didn’t really enjoy the roti — it was difficult to manage and lacked a wow flavor; more bland and cardboard-​like than interesting.
Why am I not giving this interesting, reasonably-​priced restaurant 5 stars? I think I was not sufficiently comfortable in the seating arrangement… a little too close to other tables, a little louder than I like. For many people this may be 5-​star quality but I appreciate a few more comforts.

I’ve been to State Bird a few times and had inconsistent experiences, so I waited a long time before trying The Progress. I found the experience at The Progress much more enjoyable. The food was inventive and interesting, service was great, and the interior of the restaurant was beautiful.
The meal started with complimentary snacks for the table:
— Bahri dates with hazelnut crema
— Crudité with goat cheese + toasted sesame
— Shiitakes with quinoa furikake: My favorite of the bunch! I enjoyed the crunchiness of the dish.
— Fried chicken karaage with umeboshi vinaigrette
— Grilled pork jerky with sambal mayo + crushed peanuts
There are a few raw seafood add-​ons that you can order to start for an additional charge. We chose California sturgeon caviar with potato cloud ($ 10 each). The appetizer consisted of potatoes whipped into foam with crunchy bits of potato and caviar hidden underneath. It was delicious.
The main part of the meal is served family style. For $ 58/​person, you choose 4 items from the menu to share. We were really happy with all of our choices:
— Steak tartare with black trumpet mushrooms, fermented turnips, buttermilk crackers
If I could buy those buttermilk crackers at a store, I would! The combination of ingredients was perfect.
— Sunchoke roti with Pleasant Ridge Reserve, ranch, grating of black truffle
Everything on this plate was delicious. The server suggested that we take some of the roti and mop up the sauce leftover on the steak tartare plate. A man after our own hearts.
— Fried rice with tea-​smoked quail, lap cheong, maitakes
There were delightful crunchy bits in the rice. The slices of quail were tender, and the lap cheong was strong in flavor but not too stinky.
— Grilled Llano Seco pork with crushed broccoli, dried chili oil, tomatillo salsa
The pork was pretty lean, but some pieces had a cap of juicy fat at one end that I enjoyed very much. The broccoli and salsa were tasty.
Wines by the glass were in the $ 14 — $ 19 range. Cheaper options would have been nice.
You can also dine a la carte at the bar.

After the advent of their innovative State Bird Provisions, the chef and his wife, best known for their work at Rubicon, opened this next incarnation of their dining style. Our kind and generous host scored us a reservation on a recent weeknight. His wife couldn’t make it so the three of us composed the following meal which comes family style:
Amuse bouche (
) — Can’t remember the exact ingredients but there was a variety of flavors in different forms.
1) Chanterelle-​crescenza ‘panzanella’ with quince and saba (
) — My recollection is panzanella is a bread salad in Italian cuisine. Flavors were good but, not reading the menu, would not be able to identify this dish.
2) Potato-​sauerkraut dumpling with ‘fall flavor’ plum preserves (
) — Intriguing mix of flavors as described on the menu, the tone of this dish was more subtle or subdued than expected. (when I read sauerkraut, I expected «sour» kraut!)
3) Porcini mushrooms roasted in the wood oven with yuzu kosho and nori (
) — My personal favorite of the meal as, knowing my palate, mushrooms are the ‘it’ for me. Smooth soothing textures.
4) Spiced ling cod with lightly smoked potatoes & black garlic (
) — Like the other dishes, didn’t quite taste the «spiced» part of this and the cod was on the firmer side, similar to a halibut texture.
Desserts (not shared)
5) Cocoa crepes, chestnut mascarpone, plum jam, mandarin and pecan (
) — Those not necessarily aesthetically appetizing, the flavors work. The chocolate wasn’t too rich so it paired well with the plum jam and mandarin. The pecan’s nuttiness added a different texture to this dish.
No complaints on the meal, but nothing really «wowed» me to the point of having to come back for more. Perhaps it was because our gracious host engaged in a kaleidoscope of conversation topics which distracted me from the food. We were given a booth table on the far right just before reaching the kitchen. Our waitress and servers were all cheerful, professional, and informative in describing the dishes and instructing us on the menu.
In a nutshell, the menu is $ 65.00 per person. The menu is separated into four categories (three savory and one sweet) and you can mix and match six courses as you please. The dessert may or may not be included but, if you decide to supplement them to the other courses, there is an extra charge. If dessert is your sixth course, then each individual diner may choose their own. The savory dishes are apportioned according to the number in your party.
The best description for the vibe here is that it is «live»; there is a bit of a buzz with partygoers celebrating birthdays with BYO party favors to romantic couples. The communal dining setup also makes it more of a family like or bonding experience.
After dinner and while walking to the car, my dinner companion asked me which location did I prefer, State Bird or Progress. She enjoyed State Bird for the variety of dishes and the dim sum parallel. I enjoyed this experience more as I felt the dishes were heartier and the pace less hectic and more relaxed here. As I tell everyone, there’s only one way to find out…
Try it for yourself!

The plan was hastily concatenated. A girlfriend texted and said that she’s going to be at the Fillmore. We had no dinner plan. It looked like a pleasant day for walking, so off we went. Midway through the walk, she texted back, first she was not sure, then she was certain that she was coming at 7 pm, but then the very last message was, she’s going on a Tinder /​Match / (insert any number of dating sites that I don’t know much about) date and therefore we’d have to eat without her. By then we had arrived at the Progress.
I’ve always wanted to come here. Ever since I’ve lined up eating at the State Bird a couple of years ago, learning about the Progress’s opening, I’ve wanted to come here. I know it as the family style dinner. Tried to come with another couple but somehow it’s difficult to organize one such expedition. Turns out that you don’t have to eat a mountain. You can just get a dish or two, and eat at the bar area. My favorite kind of dining style.
On Saturday at 6:20 pm, the bar seating area is still not too packed. There are a few cozy Japanese style sitting areas for people to huddle and enjoy a complete meal. We found two mid section bar stools to sit on. It was perfect for people watching.
Noted the following immediately: lots of couples. The women here who were presumably the wives with big rings and bigger hair of the pair were very pretty, the men, not so much, and they seemed bored. So bored so that they were checking me out. So I was told by my friend. I blamed on the dress that was meant for teenagers but fitted me like a glove that I had on that day. This British label vintage 1940s style dress was very much enjoying a high fashion cocktail at that precise moment, which by the way, was made just as tasty as the dress. Delicious apéritif that makes one want to order food is always a winner.
We each got to pick a few things. He wanted jerky, I wanted fermented sausage. We got both. In between drinks we decided on the other tapas. Black rice oysters served with kimchi seemed completely irrationally bizarre, yet it worked wonders. it’s the Southern Chinese AND Korean influence that surprised me. A daily special which we got talked into: dumplings with sauerkraut and potatoes was very deliriously confusing but in the utter most whimsical way: German ingredients stuffed in Chinese potsticker skins. I think it reminded him what his German grandma made when he was little. It then inspired me to make Chinese dumplings later that week.
The Progress, being a sister restaurant to the Michelin Starred State Bird, one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, is making a good progress towards being also Michelin starred. Being the James Beard 2015 winner is no easy feat in and of itself, especially in a competitive market like this one. It also got the same vibe as Batard, the 2015 James Beard winner restaurant in TribeCa, Manhattan, where I had done my birthday dinner recently. I do believe the staff is equally attentive as State Bird, and the restaurant self carries a more relaxed and chilled aura than their peer in New York.
Gilded tiles on ceiling and floor of the bathroom. I starred at this girl in the mirror, dressed in a black and red pencil skirt dress, with plunging neckline, she looked completely foreign to me. She stared at me back in a nonchalant way and that startled me a little. I think this restaurant transforms people. Gone was the nerdy sporty woman in glasses, covered in oversized sweater and jeans, incoming the petite version of the red head from Mad Men: there was no shortage of self confidence.
A superb restaurant cares not only about the food and service, but also creates an ambience, with some magical fairy dust thrown in. It takes people to a different place, a different era. I suppose this place did just that.

The Progress is an experience that is meant to be shared. I mean that quite literally as the menu is a sharing menu. Your party picks out six items to share, which can include a dessert, and you’re off and running!
The menu is organized and served from lightest items to the richest, allowing you to work up to cream sauces and leg of lamb. The presentation is exceptional. And, rather then unceremoniously dumping off food at your table, they take the time to show you exactly what you’re getting and what to expect. We were there near the end of September and the menu was still full of fresh and local foods.
We started off with a round of craft cocktails before moving on to a bottle of rose and then a bottle of red as we delved into the richer dishes. Everything was delicious and special, like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Even though we were pretty full, we couldn’t resist adding on a couple of desserts — we didn’t want the culinary experience to end! But I walked out feeling good. This is a experience to be savored; there’s absolutely no rush and at no time do you feel like they are eager to get you finished or done.
The total for each of us including tip was $ 145. Probably one of the most expensive meals I’ve ever paid for. But well worth it.

Really liked everything about this place. Apparently, the new thing is picking 4 entrees to share for $ 58/​pp and the restaurant brings you 4 small apps. We threw in the oysters as well. Did not think it would be enough food but I was stuffed. My husband. not so much but he was good. Ordered the Roti, Cod, yuba and kimchee stir fry and chicken bouillon and dumpling. Everything was delicious, inventive and had amazing flavors. Toss up favorites were the Roti and chicken bouillon. Dessert was just okay … Should’ve asked my waitress for a recommendation as none sounded particularly appetizing.
Would def come again and recommend.

Whenever I think about my meal at Progress, my mouth starts to water and I just want to go back! We made a reservation about 3 weeks in advance and were able to get a table for 2 at 7:30pm on a Monday night!
When we arrived, we let them know that we both preferred vegetarian food and they informed us that there would definitely be enough options for us to enjoy our meal without any substitutions. Score! One tip: because this place is family-​style dining, it is hard to dine with people who have different dietary restrictions than you. Because you are only allowed to pick 6 dishes for the entire table, if only one person out of a large party is vegetarian, they will probably not get enough food because they won’t be able to try the non-​veg food options. Just something to think about before planning dinner here.
Anyways, I decided to start off with The Sunny Jim which was a deliciously refreshing, citrusy cocktail. Some highlights from our meal: they bring you a platter of 7 – 8 small, cute little samplers to try out in the beginning. Basically, just a way for them tickle your taste buds and make you even more hungry haha. It was a great way to start the meal! My favorite dish was a small toast like dish with a mushroom and salad topping! It was delicious and definitely recommend it for everyone! The dessert was some of the best I’ve had as well. We tried one of their famous «floating island» desserts and a chocolate dish. Both were exceptional and we cleaned the plates even after being extremely full from dinner.
I loved the concept of this place — it’s basically like a pick your own prix fix menu. It’s very interactive and communal because everyone is sharing from the same plate. Most of their dishes, they bring out already divided for the number of people dining, but something of them, you have to split yourself. The service was exceptional and I definitely want to come back here again! Great date spot or group dining experience — the place is actually pretty big and has a good number of larger tables. Go here! You won’t be disappointed :)

This is probably my favorite restaurant to recommend to any of my friends, which is why I’m shocked that I haven’t post a review for it.
The Progress is absolutely delicious, creative, and unexpected.
Straightforward, this is a family style menu that you get to pick and choose from 6 dishes for $ 65 per person. We ordered:
— «Treasured Chest» = tasty pork broth with tender sausage and dumpling. Favorite entrée that night.
— Squab = aromatic spiced squab with salted chili paste.
— Pig fries = crispy, fried, and crunchy goodness. Love the addition of shaved cauliflower and herbs.
— BN ranch beef = with grilled dandelion greens. The beef was tender and moist.
— Smoked duck = I love anything with duck meat.
— Lamb Merquez = with yellow beans, octopus & crispy squid. Portion was just right.
— Dessert = simply delicious.
Everything was amazingly scrumptious. The staff here was super friendly and helpful. I’ll gladly return for dinner. Cheers!
The simple things in life.

State Bird Provision worth it, the Progress not so much
For my sister in law’s birthday, we decided to go to The Progress for dinner.
Here’s what we had that evening
Melon ginger soup, wild salmon caviar, black rice fried hog oysters, potato-​sauerkraut dumpling, monterey baby abalone, spiced eureka ling cod, smoked veal shank sausage, lam merguez, BN ranch beef and 1 of each dessert (bartlett pear sorbet, meyer lemon & poppy seed ice cream, and lady lamington cake.
Across the board, every dish was truly just A-​OK. To this day, it still amazes me how subdued the flavors were at Progress vs State Bird’s creative, intense and unique profiles. Quality felt the same across both but the price was definitely the biggest stand out.
The above plus 6 drinks the total bill came out to slightly under $ 400
Service was fine, atmosphere was open and bright but prepare to get cozy with your neighbors
Overall Thoughts
It’s hard for me to comprehend how the same owners of State Bird Provisions and The Progress could yield such stark contrasts

I was really excited to try this place since I’ve heard amazing things. it’s also the sister restaurant of State Bird and much easier to get reservations here. It’s $ 65 per person with 6 dishes family style. We picked 5 dishes and the 6^th dish was 2 desserts. I was daily disappointed with this place as none of the food stood out. Everything was just okay. The menu changes often so maybe menu wasn’t on point that night.
On to the food…
To start was complimentary apps which were good
black hog island oyster: Not what I was expecting and had my boyfriend eat most of it
potato-​sauerkraut dumpling: This was a good dish, dumpling filled with potato but good flavors
’everything’ roti: Good. but at this point where we wanted some meat
Sunnyside up egg with salsa verde: our waiter recommended this but honestly this was literally just an egg… i do not recommend ordering this
sausage and octopus and calamari: finally some meat. probably my favorite dish of the night
As for dessert there wasn’t too many interesting options either. we opt’ed for the pear sorbet which was better then the toasted almond-​thyme ice cream. overall pretty disappointed here.

I took one of my best friends here for his birthday. He’s a huge fan of State Bird Provisions and when we heard about the opening of their sister restaurant, I knew it would be the perfect choice. Reservations were difficult but nothing compared to SBP.
While SBP is «american dimsum» (tapas), Progress does [slightly] larger dishes that are shared family style. You and your dining mates collectively choose 6 courses for $ 65 per person. You can add courses for $ 10 per person but only if everyone opts in.
The two standout dishes were the crispy pig ear and the treasure chest. I would skip dessert as the lemon poppyseed cake was boring and dry.

Since I’m huge fan of State Bird Provisions, it was only a matter of time before I would finally have dinner at their sister restaurant, The Progress. I just had to wait a couple of months for the hype to die down a little bit. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult to land a reservation here than for State Bird.
When you walk in, it’s a much more grander scale than State Bird. The décor is warm and looks a lot brighter. Plus they have two upper balconies for dining. The big difference with The Progress is that they have a full cocktail bar here with tables so you can dine at the bar as well.
The food menu is completely different and can hold it’s own against State Bird. Where State Bird is more of a dim sum and tapas style restaurant, the Progress has a more family style dining approach with a 6-​course dinner. While the experience is still similar, the food portions here are larger. I dined here with a couple friends so sharing each dish between the three of us was pretty easy to do. The only thing that did take a while was for us to decide which 6 dishes to pick for our dinner.
Here’s what we ordered:
Complimentary «Banchan» —

Raw Japanese Snapper with Turnips & Crème Fraîche –

Smoked Duck with Marinated Pioppini Mushrooms & Dried Plum —
Shaved Cauliflower-​herbs & Pig Fries —
Aromatic Spiced Squab with Salted Chili Paste –

Lamb Merguez with Yellow Eye Beans, Octopus & Crispy Squid —
Dessert Assortment —
dessert choose 1 per person
lemongrass floating island, rhubarb sorbet & coconut-​ginger gelée
poppyseed angel cake, strawberries, sicilian pistachio & mascarpone
dates à la mode, St. George NOLA, hazelnuts & chocolate
So much food! And we enjoyed pretty much everything we ordered. My faves were definitely the Smoked Duck which was similar to the duck I had back at State Bird minus the pancakes, the Pig Fries because of their sheer fried pork awesomeness, and surprisingly, the Lamb Merguez with Octopus and Squid, simply because I’m not into lamb that much. But somehow they found a way to bring that dish all together and the Lamb Merguez didn’t have an overpowering lamb taste. The dessert assortment, while good, was a little bit of a let down in comparison to State Bird’s dessert offerings. I might end up skipping dessert next time since it’s optional.
Just recently, they changed the food menu at the bar. Though it’s still a la carte, the portions are more tapas sized like State Bird and at more affordable prices. So basically, you can get a «State Bird» experience at the bar.
Is The Progress better than State Bird? It’s pretty close, Food-​wise they’re almost equally impressive, but I still prefer the whole «dim sum» experience at State Bird to be more entertaining. Nonetheless, The Progress is an amazing follow up from the State Bird Provisions team and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back again to try their other dishes, just like I would with State Bird.