{"id":14364,"date":"2026-11-13T20:13:20","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T20:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/14364\/"},"modified":"2026-11-13T20:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T20:13:20","slug":"two-of-phoenixs-best-chefs-launch-brunch-at-restaurant-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/14364\/","title":{"rendered":"Two of Phoenix’s best chefs launch brunch at Restaurant Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"

He\u2019s through-and-through classic. She\u2019s a little more modern. For the Phoenix culinary power couple Crystal and TJ Culp, working together over the last year has been about blending their styles into a trio of Phoenix restaurants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two chefs guide the food and desserts at the intimate Melrose District bistro Restaurant Progress, downtown French sweetheart Sottise and Phoenix\u2019s vintage diner dive Sidewinder. <\/p>\n

Crystal (formerly Kass) is a pastry chef and two-time James Beard Award semifinalist known for her Arizona-inspired and nostalgia-driven baking at Valentine. She joined her then-fianc\u00e9, and 2026 Beard Award semifinalist, at his restaurants after departing the Melrose District eatery last fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In June, the couple eloped in Las Vegas. Since then, they\u2019ve tucked away their stylish wedding outfits and put their aprons back on, working to perfect their partnership in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re trying to really figure out that meld of my vibe with hers,\u201d TJ says, sitting next to Crystal at the end of the bar in Progress\u2019 shotgun-style dining room. \u201cIt\u2019s also cool for the pre-existing restaurants to have \u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething different,\u201d Crystal says, finishing her husband\u2019s sentence.<\/p>\n

Now, the duo is in a groove. Not only do they finish each other\u2019s thoughts, they\u2019re also quick to share a laugh or a knowing glance.<\/p>\n

Though they work at the same restaurants, they\u2019re not side by side on the line. Crystal handles desserts and bakes solo. Meanwhile, TJ oversees the kitchens and operations.\u00a0They handle their own culinary realms, but they often brainstorm together. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can bounce ideas back and forth,\u201d Crystal says. \u201cUsually it\u2019s at the end of the day when we\u2019re just decompressing, relaxing, and then it\u2019s, like, still thinking about work.\u201d<\/p>\n

After getting their bearings as partners in life and in food, they\u2019ve started to play around with other ideas. In March, they hosted a pop-up brunch designed to highlight Crystal\u2019s command of laminated pastries and TJ\u2019s fan-favorite but rarely served daytime dishes.<\/p>\n

The excitement and demand pushed them to make the pop-up more permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This weekend, they will officially launch brunch at Restaurant Progress, the charming eatery that TJ opened in 2017. The new weekend service will feature creations from each chef, plus a few they\u2019ve worked on together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always collaborating on dish ideas. I\u2019ll talk savory dishes to her, and then she\u2019ll talk sweet stuff to me,\u201d TJ says. \u201cIt\u2019s great to have a second opinion that is aligned with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AThe Culps will collaborate on some brunch dishes, including laminated toasts. <\/p>\n

Provided by Restaurant Progress<\/p>\n

Not a \u2018fancy\u2019 brunch<\/p>\n

Aside from the pop-up, this isn\u2019t the first time customers have eaten at Restaurant Progress during the day. TJ and his team last cooked brunch in the year and a half before the pandemic. Though brunch was starting to take off, the restaurateur abandoned the weekend service during that chaotic time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Recently, Phoenix has seen a boom in brunch and all-day restaurants. When the Culps go to brunch together, their choice varies. Sometimes they\u2019ll dive into a big, comforting meal in the darkness of Dick\u2019s Hideaway, or enjoy the beats at Requinto. They\u2019ve enjoyed a posh patio brunch at Le \u00c2me and walked to Ollie Vaungh\u2019s, their Coronado neighborhood go-to.<\/p>\n

In the Melrose District, they see the need for another neighborhood spot where people can find classic, elevated options in an unstuffy format.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want it to be louder; we want it to be more fun,\u201d TJ says. \u201cIt\u2019s not this fancy breakfast situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few popular dishes emerged from Progress\u2019 original brunch run, including TJ\u2019s soft scramble, which the chef serves with seared tomatoes, a side salad, sourdough toast and house-made jam.<\/p>\n

The kitchen will also offer steak and eggs paired with a cognac peppercorn sauce, a hangover-curing pork chop and eggs smothered in gravy and Progress\u2019s cheeseburger \u2014 a dish previously reserved for festivals. The chefs will also add more lunch-forward options, such as salads and pasta from the restaurant\u2019s dinner menu, in the future.<\/p>\n

\"ADuring brunch, diners can order Crystal Culp\u2019s laminated pastries and other bakes.<\/p>\n

\"ACrystal Culp will offer a full dessert menu during brunch.<\/p>\n

\"ARestaurant Progress\u2019 burger is topped with cheddar, tomato and a celery salt slaw. <\/p>\n

Crystal will bake several pastry options, including a staple chocolate croissant. Other flavors will rotate. Diners can also expect her take on chocolate chip cookies and a full dessert menu.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t really see a dessert menu offered during brunch,\u201d she says. \u201cMaybe somebody doesn\u2019t want a pastry, or they don\u2019t want breakfast, but they want to have a coffee or a bottle of Champagne and a sweet treat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple will team up on two dishes: a brioche honey bun and an avocado toast made with a laminated dough and served with a poached egg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Admittedly, they\u2019ve got a lot of ideas they want to try. Though the brunch will include some constants, the chefs will refresh the menu seasonally, if not more frequently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI always like to do new things,\u201d Crystal says. \u201cMy menu won\u2019t really be locked in. It\u2019s gonna change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restaurant Progress offers full service during dinner, but at brunch, diners will order at the bar. Customers can also take pastries and coffee to-go. TJ isn\u2019t a fan of line culture, but he acknowledges the counter-service format will likely create one. He aims for a \u201cquick, snappy line,\u201d but Crystal laughs, acknowledging that \u201cit might take a second.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant will expand its coffee offerings to include a taut selection of traditional cafe sips. Customers can also order Progress\u2019 dinner cocktails or choose a bloody mary made with a house mix or a mimosa featuring blood orange juice and orange bitters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Brunch is just the start of new projects the couple plans to take on together, TJ teases. The Culps are of the same mind, or at least the same thought, on their current venture.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that it really turns into a neighborhood \u2014\u201d TJ says, trailing off. Crystal finishes his sentence: \u201cHangout spot on the weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restaurant Progress<\/p>\n

Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
702 W. Montecito Ave.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He\u2019s through-and-through classic. She\u2019s a little more modern. For the Phoenix culinary power couple Crystal and TJ Culp, working together over the last year has been about blending their styles into a trio of Phoenix restaurants.\u00a0 The two chefs guide the food and desserts at the intimate Melrose District bistro Restaurant Progress, downtown French sweetheart<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14365,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[7886,5,323,3960],"class_list":["post-14364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chefs","tag-breakfast-brunch","tag-chef","tag-chefs","tag-openings-closings"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117610964761427694","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/chefs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}