Above: Dining room at The Progress

New San Francisco Restaurants

San Francisco is famously an engine of culinary innovation. Superb locally sourced and seasonal ingredients are a constant source of inspiration for the gastronomically adventurous chefs that call the city home.

The Progress

Spring potatoes and porcinis with local nori salsa verde, onion tempura and aged barley miso aioli at <em>The Progress</em> - © Ed Anderson

With a nondescript, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrance, The Progress is an innovative contemporary restaurant set in a former theater dating from 1911. (It is also adjacent to its more relaxed one-star sibling, State Bird Provisions). The minimalist dining room has a soaring arched ceiling and an exposed lath wall accent and features handcrafted earthenware and custom-designed chairs and tables. The “create your own adventure” prix fixe menu comprises five one-bite amuse bouches followed by the diners’ choice of four entrée-size family-style courses from a list of about 13 options. Highlights of our small plates included a fava bean arancini with a light pesto drizzle, and a flaky buttermilk biscuit accompanied by apple-bourbon black butter. Out of the enticing array of dishes, the spicy wood-fired Spanish octopus on a bed of shaved fennel, shell bean hummus and toasted black rice was exceptional.

The Progress
1525 Fillmore Street. Tel. (415) 673-1294

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Above: Dining room at The Progress

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