The progress sf- 10.4.2026
Immediately when I walked into The Progress in San Francisco, I first excused myself to use the restroom while my party waited for our reservation, and the stark contrast between the gorgeous wooden and industrial setting of the dining area and the glamorous, gilded, and glittery powder room was a memorable start of the night for me. The restaurant itself featured high ceilings and separated second floors on either side of the primary lower space. I came into the night expecting a twist on classic dishes, and something that would defy the norms—especially with the name “The Progress,” I anticipated something very progressive. I appreciated the variety of architectural components that set the precedent for the mood of the night, utilizing concrete walls, wooden staples, and lush greenery. This led me to wonder: would the coming food be just as effortlessly cohesive as the atmosphere was, or would I be awaiting something resembling nothingness?
Once my group had settled in at our table—which serendipitously happened to be on the second floor in a more reserved section—I began taking notes on the new setting. This room, in fact, had a view of the downstairs area on my left, and to my right, a concrete wall with small windows carved out. Stylistically interesting. I saw more beauty in the structure placed next to my table, which held rows of wine glasses below two stacked shelves of verdant plants. The energy was more toned down upstairs, although I was surprised at how vibrant the restaurant remained even at 10 PM. The ambience portended the food that was to be, which felt in line with the layout and milieu that I had so far experienced.
We didn’t hesitate with the menu and ordered a multitude of dishes, which were brought out in a very spacious time period, one that allowed you to be relaxed instead of rushed. Initially, we ordered drinks. The two that I tasted were their Euphoria drink and a peculiar twist on the classic Shirley Temple. Both had in common their bitterness, a flavor that remained on the back of the tongue for a while and kept me satiated with just a sip. The Shirley Temple was more earthy and had a fermented flavor to it, whilst the Euphoria drink was zesty and botanical.
Our first starter was the caviar potato cloud—a staple dish from The Progress. This consisted of a bottom layer of crunchy, dried caviar, which seeped into the airy potato whip sitting directly above. Most of the texture came from the recognizable crunch of the caviar, while the fluffy outer layer became a secondary note that you just noticed after eating it. I loved the prominent, instant taste of the caviar paired with the subtle, lasting potato flavor. Overall, the potato cloud was innovative in itself; it was most definitely not my favorite item.
I, of course, must mention the next appetizer we had, the Josey Baker seed feast bread alongside the honey herb bread. Despite not matching the exotic, complicated qualities of the other dishes, the perfect execution of this dish was outstanding. The butter itself was fabulous, and the honey provided a delicate sweetness while the herbs grounded it. Typically as well, I do love my simple breads and admittedly opt toward white loaves; however, the texture of this bread had the same undeniable traits of a sourdough slice with the pillowy interior and the chewy edges—not to mention a grainy flavor that complemented the herbs in the butter.
Next, one of my absolute favorites was the roasted eggplant with figs. I do concede, eggplants always excite my taste buds; however, this eggplant felt different in the way it was cooked. Instead of the common watery eggplant you might find, this one managed to instead become perfectly creamy. Additionally, with the light taste of the eggplant, the figs were a bright punch—and honestly, I preferred them separated instead of together in order to experience the different flavors as a dish made up of different distinctive aspects.
The five-kissed yellow tomatillo sopresine was undoubtedly a highlight of my experience. The flavors were multidimensional, as if they were transporting you to an alternative world. The tomatoes were juicy and ripe, and the pasta paired with the add-ins created a larger-than-life sense.
Immediately after this, however, the only thing I can say I confidently loathed was the Hodo tofu & cauliflower mushroom 'laab prik'—something I myself had advocated adding to the order. I perhaps got a bite with an unproportional amount of spice to it, but I could barely taste the pineapple or guava. The single piece of cauliflower I did try was so impeccably soft that I was disappointed in the fact that I barely was able to savor the taste long enough for the other factors to completely overbear the primary element.
Another item on the menu—or not on the actual menu—that I wasn't completely infatuated with was the Prog dog. A contemporary spin-off on a hot dog, although I didn’t really taste enough of a difference to be as revolutionary as the rest of the food was to me. The intriguing factor about the Prog dog is that only 12 were made per day, and we managed to order the last three to our table. The hot dog was situated inside of a cheese-crusted bun, with an all-pork hot dog inside. The single element that I thought gave this plate slightly more personality than the otherwise vapidness of it was the topping—cabbage from the homemade kimchi.
Finally, our last course consisted of three different plates of meat—the grilled Stemple Creek bavette steak 'au poivre,' fried ‘whole’ McFarland Springs trout, and the BBQ Liberty Farms half duck. Starting with my least favorite—the steak. I couldn’t taste as much of the red wine as I wanted to because the celery component, something one might anticipate as a light, barely noticeable addition, was overly strong. The cooking was also subpar because by the time it arrived at our table, the inside was cold.
On a more positive note, both the trout and the duck were delightful—with the duck being my absolute favorite from the whole night. The trout was flavorful and had a perfectly crispy shell, although I think the secondary elements could have been more conspicuous. And lastly, the duck. Honestly, if everything else had been terrible, the duck would have compensated and then some. The duck was rich, savory, and I loved how it worked alongside the fried rice as well.
Ultimately, the food wasn’t the only part that made our night fantastic. Our server—Michal—was gregarious and exciting, and did pitch in on our decision to order the trout, which I don’t regret. The time in between the foods as well felt almost perfect; at times, we found ourselves on the brink of that feeling when your conversation has slightly died down and you sit there in a trance waiting for the next course, but right at that moment, we would see our dishes emerge.
The creativity itself, in my book, does match the name. The food, as I have already mentioned, felt authentically San Franciscan, and had an esotericness that is difficult to find nowadays. The ingredients were all clearly in season, and I could taste the real farm-to-table in my mouth. Finally, with a price tag of roughly $1,000 with our group of 6 people, this Michelin-star restaurant was on the more inexpensive side of its level of prestige, and with the food, I’d say that the price was completely fair for how satisfied I was by the time we finished off the duck.
The Progress proved to be a versatile restaurant, not only in terms of food, but the environment and the people inside as well. It didn’t seem particularly closed off to any one type of person, which felt unifying in a way. To conclude, I would undoubtedly recommend stopping by for this one if you find yourself in the city and enjoy the food of the future. Make sure to make a reservation beforehand, though, as you won’t want to wait in line for a table on top of dealing with San Francisco parking!
OVERALL: ★★★★
Food: ★★★★
Service: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★★
Value: ★★★★
