Schwa is perhaps the most mythical restaurant in Chicago. The general consensus seems to be: amazing food, genius chef (Michael Carlson), unconventional dining experience, frustrating and near-impossible to get a reservation. Since opening in 2005, Schwa’s mythology has taken on a life of its own; run a Google search on “Schwa reservations” and you’ll find countless stories of frustration. There are desperate would-be diners dialing over and over for weeks without getting through, leaving messages that aren’t returned or hearing a recorded message that “the voice mailbox is full.” Then there are scores of mysterious last-minute cancellations, calls coming just an hour before a planned dinner to say that the chef is sick or the plumbing is broken.
So it’s no wonder that it has taken me almost four years to try Schwa. Last month, I decided that I was ready to devote myself to the quest for a reservation, figuring that it would take weeks of frequent redial attempts. (Fortunately, I have a very high tolerance for this, having been desensitized over the years by calling the French Laundry.)
To my great surprise, after just three “voice mailbox is full” calls, I got through and made a reservation for this week. Surprisingly easy, but I still had the potential last-minute cancellation to contend with. The afternoon of our dinner, I watched my phone warily; when no call came, I jumped in a cab and headed to Wicker Park for my long-awaited Schwa experience.
So, is Schwa worth the fuss? I think so, because it’s a unique experience. The food is creative, with daring flavor combinations. It’s perfectly executed but also unpretentious, served by Chef Carlson’s brother Seth (or the chefs themselves) in a simple room with a backdrop of hip-hop music and a devil-may-care attitude.
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| Cherry-covered chocolate |
Our dinner started with a “cherry-covered chocolate” drenched in bourbon. Is it a little odd to start off a meal with something closer to dessert? Yes, maybe – but it also gives you an idea of what’s to come. The chocolate inside was mousse-like and not too sweet, and the overall effect was of a pre-dinner cocktail.
Since Schwa is a BYOB, we brought a bottle of Roederer Estate sparkling wine and one of Littorai pinot noir. It seems like a lot for two people, but during the confirmation call I was given instructions to “bring a bottle per person… at least.” It was nice to have the variety so that each course could be paired appropriately, but I’m pretty sure we left some of the wine behind (which was fine by me).
Our first course was listed on the menu as octopus, but turned out to be Jonah crab salad served with ribbons of pineapple, aged balsamic vinegar, crunchy chips, and shaved macadamia nuts. Lots of flavors and textures, yet they worked together well.
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| Jonah crab |
Next came baked potato soup, which I was extremely excited about. (I once worked at a client site where “baked potato day” in the cafeteria, once a month, was by far the highlight of my experience.) The smooth soup was infused with potato and bacon flavor, served with crunchy potato skins and pulled cheddar on the side of the bowl. The cheddar was a particularly tasty one from Utah called “Barely Buzzed”, scented with lavender and coffee grounds.
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| Baked potato soup |
The most celebrated dish at Schwa is probably the quail egg ravioli, which is no longer on the menu – but like the signature creations of many other chefs, it hasn’t gone far. After the soup, the ravioli appeared as a surprise course. It’s as good as everyone says, with a runny yolk in the center, a heady truffled butter sauce, and a shaving of Parmesan cheese. D and I both surreptitiously licked our bowls.
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| Quail egg ravioli |
The ravioli was followed by chicken liver risotto and a brief switch to red wine. The risotto was creamy and rich with flavor, made even more so by a streak of taleggio cheese, with crispy shallots for texture.
Our next course was one of the more unusual combinations – an intensely flavored passionfruit gelée studded with trout roe, with a trail of violet foam leading across the plate to a small, tempura fried dumpling. How does one even imagine this combination? It’s admittedly strange, but also bright and refreshing.
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| Chicken liver risotto |
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| Passionfruit with trout roe |
A small shot glass of liquid appeared at our table, with instructions not to touch it while we waited for our next course. This turned out to be a scallop dish served with our own shot glasses of caraway-scented aquavit, and Seth drank with us since “at Schwa, no one drinks alone.”
The scallop was quickly forgotten when our next course arrived. Called S’mores, it consisted of shredded beef short rib in a mole sauce, topped with the nutty crunch of graham crackers and melting sweetness of toasted marshmallow. While this may sound unappetizing, it was the triumph of the evening. In an Alinea-esque twist, it was served over a glass filled with campfire smoke, so that we could lift the bowl and release some of the smokiness to more fully capture a campout feeling. It’s an audacious dish, and the risk pays off.
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| S’mores |
Courses continued to come apace (I was a bit surprised by how quickly dinner progressed); next up was a dish of sliced sous-vide boar with “trail mix” and a consomme reduced to an almost syrupy consistency and meaty, sweet flavor.
The cheese course was molten Chimay cheese inside a pretzel gougere, topped with Chimay beer foam. Very tasty, and I could have happily eaten a handful of them.
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| Cheese |
Finally, dessert. Considering the unexpectedly sweet-savory courses earlier, I suppose it shouldn’t have surprised me that dessert was vegetable-based, a celery root custard made with white chocolate, served with roasted banana and banana leather. I don’t think I ever would have guessed the key ingredient if I hadn’t been told, but it was quite good, with an indescribable flavor. This was the perfectly off-beat ending to our meal.
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| Dessert |
I came across lots of rumors about Schwa, so in case it’s helpful, here is my attempt at Schwa “mythbusting.”
- It’s impossible to make reservations. FALSE: Keep calling until you speak to someone live. Try different times; I got through at 3:45pm.
- But… don’t try to walk in and make a reservation in person. TRUE: Before I arrived, D witnessed the polite rebuff of a man who came bearing a bottle of liquor and trying to book a table.
- Speaking of bottles, bring one for the guys in the kitchen. TRUE, but not necessary: I didn’t see anyone else doing this, though in my mind it’s never a bad thing to be generous. I’ve heard of people bringing beer, gin, etc. We brought a bottle of Maker’s 46 and it was appreciated.
- They’ll take your wine and then share it among other tables. FALSE: Our wine was labelled with our table number and we were the only ones to drink it. The same seemed true of other tables. I was a tiny bit disappointed – I would have found it fun to share wines with others in the restaurant.
- The chefs are also the servers. TRUE: Well, partially true. A few courses were served by the chefs, but most of the time Seth was managing the entire front of house and doing almost all of the serving. He’s a good guy.
- You dine to a soundtrack of hip-hop. TRUE: Where else would I be introduced to such heretofore unknown (to me) classics as “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”?
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That seems like a LOT of courses. I'm totally envious of all of it. Sounds amazing.