The Progress Goes A La Carte After Almost Three Years of Family-Style Feasts

The Progress debuted almost three years ago with a family-style menu of dishes that were different, but related, to those of its sibling, State Bird Provisions.

It’s been a hot ticket since then, as chef/owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski have continued to evolve the style of the Progress, further differentiating it from the dim sum-style of their original restaurant next door

Now, Brioza is changing things up a bit more. The banquet-style menu is going a la carte to match the bar’s bustling vibe. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Brioza. “We wanted to remove the barrier between the bar, which was always a la carte, and the dining room, but we still wanted to do a family style thing.”

That means instead of ordering dishes as a group, it’s similar to other restaurant menu setups — until diners reach the platter section, that is. In a nod to sustainability, supporting small producers, and also fun, Brioza has added gorgeous platters of dishes focused on larger cuts of meats.

That enables the restaurant to switch things up without focusing on single cuts from an an animal; smaller purveyors like Stemple Creek Ranch may only have a handful of a certain cut, like ribeyes, at a time. But by purchasing larger cuts Brioza and his team are able to serve lamb saddle one night, and a rack of ribs the next.

The Progress

It also strips away some of the formality of a tasting menu, though The Progress’ laid back vibe was already pretty approachable. More freedom to order individually, and the flexibility to just drop in and order one or two items was also part of the goal. Interestingly, Brioza says, in the few weeks since the menu has been quietly live, they’ve been doing the same amount of covers, with the same-ish check average.

Check out the platters below, which are meant for two to six people:

• Liberty Farms BBQ half duck with spicy peanuts, thai basil & smoked chili vinegar ($60)
• Devil’s Gulch ranch roasted & grilled half rabbit shishitos, artichokes & bacon ($52)
• Don Watson’s rack of young lamb eggplant ‘muhammara’, rosemary almonds & harissa jus ($85)

The Progress is open Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

• The Progress Is Finally Here, and It's Gorgeous [ESF]
• Here’s the Menu for State Bird 2.0, Opening Tonight [ESF]