Restaurant Progress — Restaurant in Phoenix

We’ve enjoyed the food and service at Restaurant Progress (RP) at least a dozen times since it opened. It has also had great table management (one time, they asked a table that had stayed too long to leave so we could be sat for our reservation close to on time—as any hot restaurant would do in any large city). But last night, their poor table management overshadowed the rest of the experience and ended with a surreal, almost creepy, exchange.

We made a reservation for 7:45 in the main dining room. We arrived at 7:30. At 8:45, we still weren’t seated (it’s worth a mention that RP’s reservation system says they’ll hold your table for only 10 minutes). We were told that due to the rain they had tried to accommodate those with patio reservations by moving them inside.

I’m fine with that attempt, but those who made the reservation on the patio or RP should bear the risk of rain. For example, RP should better cover their patio or, if already well covered, they should tell those who made patio reservations that that’s their table. But those who made dining room reservations shouldn’t be expected to wait an hour because RP doesn’t have a plan for the rain. Ironically, at one point, they offered us (with an inside reservation) a seat on the patio, while those who had had a patio reservation ate inside. Right before finally seating us, they also offered us a table in an empty side room. Well, “table” is a bit of an understatement—it was a massive table fit for Renaissance Fair that could seat 14.

Eventually, we were seated. The food was good. The service was good. We paid. Immediately after we had all signed our checks, a guy walked up to our table and asked whether we had enjoyed our meal. We said we had. He then went on to say that we had made “a little girl cry” in the bathroom, apparently referring to our server who had also been managing the tables (before being seated, the member of our group who had made our reservation had expressed to her his agitation about the wait). This unidentified stranger calling this woman “a little girl” was downright creepy and saying that she cried because someone expressed his disappointment in their inability to manage the tables would be, I would think, insulting of her. The nearby bartender in the now nearly empty restaurant did nothing to intervene.

RP could have easily avoided all of this. RP has been open for years. Phoenix (thankfully) gets some rainy days in the winter and spring. RP should have had a rain plan—or at least put a tight time limit on reservations they...

I took my wife to Restaurant Progress as part of our Babymoon after spending the day at the Montelucia. I've heard a lot about this place and intended to try it for some time. Their hours are pretty short and (I've heard) it can get busy and hard to get a table. We got there right at 5 PM. A little early for dinner but fine since we had a show downtown later in the evening.

The space is small but packed with chic ambiance and mouthwatering aromas. I was digging it. The staff was friendly and seated us right way without a reservation. The greeter claimed that all of the tables inside were taken by reservations and put us on the patio. It was a cool space-- both in decor and temperature this time of year. It was a little disappointing to see half the tables still open on the inside when we were leaving an hour or so later. My wife is 8 months pregnant and would have appreciated sitting inside.

The server was amiable, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. I wouldn't call the spread comprehensive but each entry was solid. Having to avoid some of the entrees with raw ingredients, we settled on one of the salads, duck breast for me, and tortellini for the mom-to-be. I ordered an Old Fashioned and the cocktail delivered.

The salad was mix of arugula, apples, dried dates, goat cheese and pine nuts. It had the appropriate amount dressing-- enough to make itself known but not enough to make me question my life choices. The duck breast was a scrumptious mix of umami from the duck and roasted vegetables, and sweetness from the sweet potato puree. The microgreens added a freshness to every bite. Take me home country roads... as long as I can eat one of these again. Delicious. My wife's tortellini presented in a classic sage butter sauce. Overall a fine dish but the pasta was undercooked and tough.

Yes-- the portions were not big and probably the reason why I was warned this restaurant was a 'little overpriced.' Listen-- I am sure there's a Buca di Beppo not too far from your house if you're looking for bang for your buck. I found Restaurant Progress to deliver on ambiance, service, and quality food. It's a great addition to the Melrose community and the rest of us salivating Phoenician foodies. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the greeter could have been more savvy with the seating and made us a little more...

As I entered Restaurant Progress I was hopeful. This place has tons of charm and looks just about perfect. Everything seemed like all would be well as my date and I sipped our delicious Cab Franc and ate our three cheese appetizer. I must say, the service at Restaurant Progress was great. Everyone we interacted with was pleasant and welcoming. Our server was gracious and attentive. The problem though, is not with the ambiance or the waitstaff...the problem is with the most important offering of any restaurant, the food. Yes, the cheese plate was good, but the next appetizers were awful. We ordered the Beef Tartare. This Tartare was undoubtedly some of the worst I've had. Vinegar and mustard overpowered the flavor of the beef. This was unfortunate, as it was Arizona beef. We didn't even finish the dish in spite of it being $16. Next was the Squash Tortellini. This dish was nothing short of disappointing...especially given that it was $19 for only 8 or 9 pieces of pasta. The pasta was stuffed with three cheeses that could barely be tasted because of the overwhelming flavor of the baking spices throughout. The spices or possibly the flour gave the sauce a grainy texture. The pasta itself was made and cooked perfectly. Unfortunately, the "Squash" sauce surrounding the pasta was also overtaken by another flavor...flour. My date didn't even want to finish her half because it was so dissatisfying. As we contemplated our next move, we saw the short rib entree going out around us. It smelled delicious but was quite a small portion for $32. Ultimately, we decided to have desert and coffee before heading out. We just didn't want to risk another disappointment for such a cost. The desert and coffee were just fine. We had no complaints about them. Hopefully, this was just an off night for the kitchen, but in any event, I doubt that I will be coming back for the food or recommending this restaurant to anyone. This restaurant is lovely, in every way, besides the food, but that's obviously the entire point. The food just doesn't hit the mark and it's...