sundevilpeg wrote:

Trotter's cost more for less food, or an inferior experience.

Cathy2, you've changed your handle?

Ed is Ed and Cathy is Cathy.

I had a 5 course lunch with wine pairings for $125. at Trotters. The food was not nearly as interesting as Schwa. Charlie Trotter did the glad-you-are-here and trotted off in less than 30 seconds.

At Schwa I had a 10 course meal plus for $110 without wine pairings. Chef Carlson not only delivered the food, he described and willingly discussed any point related to the food.

Now that you know the details, does my sentence make sense: "I recently went to a lunch at Trotters that cost a bit more than what I had at Schwa for a lot less."

As I was walking to my car, I was thinking to myself why did I talk myself into going to Trotters. It just wasn't worth it.

Regards,

I have seen suggestions for what wine to bring, but does anybody have some beer suggestions? I am going next week and since I don't really drink wine it will be beer for me. Any help would be great!

I think wheat beers often complement food better than regular, heavier beers. Or anything not too heavily hopped-- Guinness, a white beer like Celis, etc. It's just that aggressive hop profile (so common these days in American microbrews) that will kill the subtlety of any dish that's not buffalo wings or the like.

louisdog wrote:I have seen suggestions for what wine to bring, but does anybody have some beer suggestions? I am going next week and since I don't really drink wine it will be beer for me. Any help would be great!

Take a look at some of the Jolly Pumpkin beers. (Introduced to me by Rene G). I think their fermentation and conditioning style would pair nicely with refined dishes like Schwa's.

The Bam Biere is excellent and the Calabaza Blanca might be a nice choice if you can find it. Binny's carries their beers.

louisdog wrote:I have seen suggestions for what wine to bring, but does anybody have some beer suggestions? I am going next week and since I don't really drink wine it will be beer for me. Any help would be great!

There's a British company called Meantime that produces an excellent IPA. It's very soft and not nearly as hoppy as most IPA's you see today. I've only seen it at Sam's and Binny's. A 750ml bottle will run you about $10. I had this when I went to Schwa and it worked very nicely for most of the meal.

I think someone else in this thread mentioned bringing some of the Trader Joes Vintage Ale (brewed by Unibroue). If you can't find that one, I'm sure their Fin Du Monde or one of their 'smaller' beers would match well, too.

As for dessert, any strong porter or stout would be good. If you can find any bottles still of Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout, that would be a good start.

alexi612 wrote:It appears the liver and onions have been replaced by an incredible combination of morels and fluffy lamb brain pillows.

Intriguing (I think). Would you mind offering a bit more of a description both as to appearance/presentation and taste?

Thanks for all the beer suggestions.

danimalarkey wrote:There's a British company called Meantime that produces an excellent IPA. It's very soft and not nearly as hoppy as most IPA's you see today. I've only seen it at Sam's and Binny's. A 750ml bottle will run you about $10. I had this when I went to Schwa and it worked very nicely for most of the meal.

I have wanted to try the Meantime stuff, so that Schwa sounds like the perfect place to do it. I have some bottles from Lost Abbey that might make it there as well.

eatchicago wrote:Take a look at some of the Jolly Pumpkin beers. (Introduced to me by Rene G). I think their fermentation and conditioning style would pair nicely with refined dishes like Schwa's.

I have had Jolly Pumpkins stuff before and they are great. I had not thought of them but they would be a great idea too.

Mike G wrote:I think wheat beers often complement food better than regular, heavier beers. Or anything not too heavily hopped-- Guinness, a white beer like Celis, etc. It's just that aggressive hop profile (so common these days in American microbrews) that will kill the subtlety of any dish that's not buffalo wings or the like.

You couldn't be more right regarding the hops. As much as I love Imperial IPAs, they would overpower any of the flavors from the food. I may bring a stout just in case we have shellfish. If you never have tried it Guinness (or really any dry stout) goes great with most shellfish but especially oysters.

I am also thinking of bringing an imperial stout (probably Bell's Expedition ) to go with desert, but I am worried it might be overpowering. Any thoughts?

Cathy2 wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:

Trotter's cost more for less food, or an inferior experience.

Cathy2, you've changed your handle?

Ed is Ed and Cathy is Cathy.

I had a 5 course lunch with wine pairings for $125. at Trotters. The food was not nearly as interesting as Schwa. Charlie Trotter did the glad-you-are-here and trotted off in less than 30 seconds.

At Schwa I had a 10 course meal plus for $110 without wine pairings. Chef Carlson not only delivered the food, he described and willingly discussed any point related to the food.

Now that you know the details, does my sentence make sense: "I recently went to a lunch at Trotters that cost a bit more than what I had at Schwa for a lot less."

As I was walking to my car, I was thinking to myself why did I talk myself into going to Trotters. It just wasn't worth it.

Regards,

Sure you were at Trotter's? I've never known the restaurant to be open for lunch? Have had many excellent meals there, but in the 10+ years I've been going have never seen them open for lunch. Please explain.

truffleking wrote:Sure you were at Trotter's? I've never known the restaurant to be open for lunch? Have had many excellent meals there, but in the 10+ years I've been going have never seen them open for lunch. Please explain.

Cathy can confirm, but I believe they're occasionally open on Sundays for lunch -- maybe five or six times every year?

Hi,

It was open for a private party.

Regards,

I had a 5 course lunch with wine pairings for $125. at Trotters.

If it was a private party why are you being chargerged individual settings?

Just curious? I am familiar w/ Trotter's offerings...and am surprised you were even charged for lunch but am sure this is something you planned in advance...

Snark wrote:

I had a 5 course lunch with wine pairings for $125. at Trotters.

If it was a private party why are you being chargerged individual settings?

Just curious? I am familiar w/ Trotter's offerings...and am surprised you were even charged for lunch but am sure this is something you planned in advance...

ChicaGourmet's 10th Anniversary Luncheon, which if you wanted to attend, then you paid.

All by itself, it was a fine lunch. However when you begin comparing it to Schwa, then it felt not quite as creative and rather pricey. All value is relative and this didn't do it for me.

I have the menu and pictures, maybe I'll post it sometime soon.

Regards,

Schwa and Trotter's are 2 completely different types of places... and so are the chefs. Trotter is a guy who's "made it". He's recognized internationally as a leader in the US food world and has had a highly aclaimed restaurant for 20 years. Chef Carlson is a younger chef still trying to make his mark. Of course both are extremely talented chefs... and it's great that they call Chicago home.

When Trotter had his 20th anniv blowout celebration and brought the top chefs from around the world in to cook (and raise a ton of money for his scholarship program) he brought them to Schwa to see the brilliance of chef Carlson. Trotter recognizes this guy is doing great things in the kitchen and I think that gesture tells you a lot.

I've had many conversations about food with Trotter over the years. This guy is passionate about food and does often take the time to talk to his guests. That said, years ago he was always in the restaurant. Now, with other interests (Mexico, Vegas) he's not there every night. I admit that its a bummer when he's not in the house. I feel that Trotter's is a fine tuned machine with polish... substantial, reliable. Yes, perhaps the most exciting days of the restaurant are behind him... more like coasting now, not as innovative as a younger chef like Carlson. Schwa is smaller, struggling, not as predictable... which makes sense to me.

It's also hard to compare an organized lunch for a group when the restaurant is normally closed with a traditional meal which will most likely be more spontaneous. As far as pricing, when I saw the $125 for lunch with wines... for Trotter's... sad, but that's pretty innexpensive for them.... and of course it's only 5 courses which is about half of a "normal" ie. dinner menu.

So, in summing up...Trotter's is an institution. Good but boring when compared to Schwa. Both chefs have passion, but Trotter can rest a little on his laurels.... Carlson still has the eye of the tiger.

I'm going back to the beer question, because I love beer, and I only brought beer when I went.

I started with an Orval (Belgian Trappist). I wanted something pretty carbonated, dry, and clean to start, and I'm not the biggest fan of whitbeer, which might have been the natural choice. I thought Orval worked well.

After that I went with a Saison DuPont. Another Beligian. I went with a saison becuase they are infinitly versitile and seem to match anything. DuPont is my favorite.

For the last few courses I brought DogFish Head Palo Santo Marron. It's called a brown ale, but it's really more of a stout/porter. I would recommend a porter becuase it will go nicely with the meat dishes as well as the dessert. I kind of wish I had brought a Ommegang Hennepin only becuase Hennepin and Humboldt Fog Goat Chesse is one of my favorite matches, and would have gone beautifully with the cheesecake, but oh well.

Truffleking,

When you are at the top of your game and you begin to rest on your laurels, then you are already heading downhill. If you are at the top and continue to strive, then you remain a potent contender.

I have been to Trotter's twice, once at the kitchen table and just recently for lunch. I enjoyed both meals for what they were. Collectively I have seen Charlie Trotter a total of 2 minutes 30 seconds.

I paid roughly the same amount of money to eat at Schwa and at Trotters. If presented with same today, then I would go to Schwa over Trotters. My reason to go to the luncheon at Trotter's was to support my friends and I, too, recognized it was a good deal for this restaurant.

You are right we are fortunate Chicago attracts and keeps such culinary talent. We are truly blessed.

Regards,

Either I got lucky or the fuss on reservations might be a bit overblown. I called this morning at 9:00 AM to a full voicemail box. Called back at 10:00 AM at which time I was able to speak to someone who happily took a reservation for a Saturday night a month from now. Certainly not too burdensome.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:Either I got lucky or the fuss on reservations might be a bit overblown. I called this morning at 9:00 AM to a full voicemail box. Called back at 10:00 AM at what time I was able to speak to someone who happily took a reservation for a Saturday night a month from now. Certainly not too burdensome.

Last year at the Bellagio, I put 10 bucks on number 7, and won $350. Either I got lucky, or that stuff about the casino odds being stacked against the player is exaggerated.

Enjoy your meal. I look forward to reading all about it. Seriously, the incredibly consistent glowing descriptions of Schwa's food are coming very close to getting me over my disdain for the frustrating reservation process. I've sworn off of Schwa, but I just might have to repent and get back onboard. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky too.

Kennyz wrote:Enjoy your meal. I look forward to reading all about it. Seriously, the incredibly consistent glowing descriptions of Schwa's food are coming very close to getting me over my disdain for the frustrating reservation process. I've sworn off of Schwa, but I just might have to repent and get back onboard. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky too.

IMHO, save your money and go to Vegas. I've been regularly calling Schwa, more for experiment's sake than anything else at this point, and no dough. I still, however, have fond memories of this strange run of luck at the blackjack tables at the Mirage, of all places given that it's my least favorite casino, and how I won enough money to pay for my trip and all of my meals that weekend (including one at Bouchon). And those meals I reserved on open table or easily by phone. Just my two cents.

i went Friday...called this morning and have reservations for June 27th. so it can be done.

Schwa restaurant. Friday May 2nd, 2008.

Surreal. Unique. Prodigious. Revelatory. A divine chimera.

My own shortness of articulation cannot adequately express the dining experience I had at this tiny, non-descript location in Chicago. It was so originally inspiring and impeccably brilliant. Now, please understand that such accolades are coming from a person who has refused to eat a strawberry out of stubborn (and foolish?) conviction and finds tremendous comfort in Better Cheddars. So one might argue that my world of food was rather limited and somewhat predictably safe. I entered the night with a bit of trepidation - unaware of the surprises and combinations that Chef Michael Carlson was going to create - but I left the 3 hour meal totally satiated, with expectations met beyond belief and a newly discovered sense of wanting to explore all the flavors and textures of various ingredients. And strangely enough, I even found myself craving to have lamb brains and jellyfish again this morning.

I did some minimal research before even accepting the invitation, but figured I would only be missing out on something new and inventive. And with some friendly encouragement (as well as knowing how difficult it can be to even get a reservation at the place), I convinced myself that I would go into the night with an open mind and a willingness to have no pre-conceived notions of anything. I wanted a blank slate that had no fear or reservations. I embraced the notion of discovering a new place to eat, but the whole thing just totally blew my mind in an out-of-this-world, fascinating fashion.

Immediately upon entering the room - that seats no more than 24 people - I felt at ease for some reason. There is no hostess, no wait staff. This place is the chef and his 3 staff - they do everything. This total lack of pretension - and desire to place the food at the forefront - is a testament to the passion in which they have created this original display of culinary talent. There is absolutely no bullshit conveyed here. It is a world brimming with destruction of repetition and a search for ingenuity. Presentations are colorful and innovative, yet they only serve to be a supporting element to the underlying reason why Schwa is being heralded as a “foodie heaven” of sorts. Nothing is compromised or sacrificed….each component having a clear purpose and pure intent. Each course was on such a different wavelength of excellence, a stratosphere I was totally unfamiliar with, but one that I embraced whole-heartedly with conviction and pleasure.

So with that introduction, here is how the adventure transpired in all its glory, as best memory can serve me (with a little help from a few blogs describing some of the dishes in greater detail)

Amuse

Perched atop a glass block (to facilitate eating this starter like taking a shot of alcohol in one fell swoop) sat red grapefruit with honey sorbet and chamomile agar. It was so simple and inviting -- and the first clue that the night ahead was going to be an adventure. A refreshing start to the journey ahead….the flavors melded so brilliantly as they dissolved in my mouth. Delicate and welcoming.

Jonah Crab: Bananas, Celery, Coriander

Four offerings aligned as a diagonal down the plate. Starting with a piece of roasted banana with celery puree and sweet celeriac sticks. Then two offerings of crab (one pickled), partially hidden underneath a dehydrated banana crisp. The sous chef mentioned saving the best for last…..savoring a toasted brioche infused in the middle with a banana liquor with a hint of citrus coriander. Once I bit into the ball, my mouth exploded in amazing flavors and subtle genius.

Beer Cheese Soup

An interesting play on this basic notion, but the cheese and beer originates from a monastery in Belgium. The soup is served in a small cup to the left of the plate, while the right offers up a tiny pretzel ball and dill puree on the sides…and the whole thing is topped off my a thin dehydrated mustard chip. This course was a curious interplay and the soup was definitely concentrated, but it didn’t completely wow me either.

Pad Thai

I had the traditional noodle dish and was expecting peanuts to play some role. And while they did create a delectable peanut puree that was smooth and balanced, the brilliance here existed in using jellyfish as the “noodles.” This was my initial exposure that these guys liked to think differently and approach things from a radical perspective. Elegantly exquisite.

Arctic Char Roe

Not being a huge fan of caviar to begin with, I was a bit nervous in anticipating the next dish. Yet I quite enjoyed this saltier and robust version of roe….and it was combined with pumpernickel rounds, mustard seeds, and rutabaga balls underneath a Meyer lemon puree. The rutabaga juice was a tad overwhelming, but I appreciated the daring ambition for pairing the plate up as they did. A brave take on standard fare.

Quail Egg Ravioli (off menu)

Standard ravioli with the typical cheese and brown butter, but the hidden gem of this one-bite wonder lies in the center of the pasta. The yolk bursts into your mouth delicately, but this creation (somewhat of a standard for Carlson now) is densely rich and sensuously delicious.

Kona Kampachi

I am not a sushi or raw food aficionado - that is to say, I do not crave or seek out such pleasures in any regularity. My exposure to such delicacy has been rare and few and far between, probably by choice. After tasting this combination, call me a believer. Accompanied by lime gelee, a galangal crisp, and a maple foam, this hit a perfect note. It combined the sashimi with a considered compliment of flavors that all worked together. But I must say…..the daikon fired with some spice and heat that was just randomly placed at the corner of the plate might just have been my favorite thing of the entire evening.

Morels

Executed to perfection….and I was shocked to enjoy two things that served as the centerpieces of this wonderful dish. Not being a huge fan of mushrooms in the first place, I instead focused on the other piece at the trough of the presentation. Lo and behold, I found myself wanting to soak up every last bit of lamb brain pillows. The texture, the flavor, the balance….it was all impeccable - supported by a mushroom foam and a quaint little poached egg. I found myself in blissful heaven by this point in the meal. And did I mention again that I just ate lamb brains with nasturtium?

Antelope

A sqaure peg of butternut squash separated the antelope prepared two different ways: tenderloin sous vide that melted in my mouth and a ragout that was stewed for over 8 hours. Holy dear lord was this tasty. Chef Carlson even described how they shot the antelope from a helicopter to make it more humane afterwards - a perfect example of the care and consideration they take in all aspects of the restaurant. By the end of this dish, I was lapping up my last piece of the loin in the white chocolate mousse and the macadamia puree. Yes, it sounds like a strange amalgam of sorts, but this one was definitely a favorite.

Cheese

Their play on cheesecake featured Humboldt fog blue cheese with black truffle ash atop a graham cracker crust, served in a bite-sized triangle on a spoon. To me, blue cheese is an either/or proposition - there is no middle ground. I fall into the disdain category - and try as they might, not even Schwa could change that opinion. A miss for me, but I appreciated the playfulness.

Dessert

A parsnip custard was plated next to maple syrup and lavender foam. Passion fruit was smeared around the plate to go with the sweet candied sweetbreads (supreme actually). Sweet and savory.

And then it was all over…..but never to be forgotten.

By the end of the meal, we had finished our two bottles of wine ( a pinot noir and a reisling), bolstered a bit when he also offered us the remnants of a white wine another table had brought and then also graciously provided us with an Allagash beer as we continued to revel in the experience….which by that point had approached 3 hours. The experience was orgasmic and inspiring. It has lingered with me for days now, dreaming of those audacious combinations and wonderful flavors. It was stunning in both scope and direction. My paradigm has shifted my friends. This was a journey of explorations and discovery, a psychedelic and sensory overload of epic and astute wonder, hosted by a genuine and all-around cool character.

Food as art. Transcendent. A state of mind. Nectar of the gods.

Welcome makisupa12 and thanks for the thoughtful and articulate post! We look forward to hearing more from you--about Schwa (again) and your other culinary peregrinations.

Hey makisupa police man, great review

makisupa12 wrote:Chef Carlson even described how they shot the antelope from a helicopter to make it more humane afterwards - a perfect example of the care and consideration they take in all aspects of the restaurant.

Ditto on the kudos, makisupa. I'm just curious about this one detail--how is shooting an antelope from a helicopter more humane? I'm interested to hear more of what Chef Carlson shared with you on that.

Great review... I'm tittering in anticipation of my meal.


"Police man came to my house........... *lamb brains*"

hey, i was on my 3rd bottle of wine...so don't remember if he was saying it was more humane or if it just made the meat more tender by not stressing them out or something. he just described something about how they got the antelope from this special ranch out west - and that's how they creatively got the meat. not sure if humane was the right thing to say......

(A tangent: Could someone explain why makisupa has twice been referred to here as "police man"? I have a feeling it's a cultural reference I'm too out-of-step to get. At first I thought rereading his/her post might provide the answer, but unless I'm missing it, it's not there. Thanks.)

riddlemay wrote:(A tangent: Could someone explain why makisupa has twice been referred to here as "police man"? I have a feeling it's a cultural reference I'm too out-of-step to get. At first I thought rereading his/her post might provide the answer, but unless I'm missing it, it's not there. Thanks.)

It's a reference to a phish song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu0i2qAZbp4

I admit I'm fascinated by the idea of hunting antelope by helicopter. A google search produced only this which talks of using a helicopter to herd antelope, in order to net and relocate them. (I should add that does and fawns were "hobbled" and taken out to a "processing center" which was deemed necessary to reduce the winter population.)

According to wikipedia, a very reliable source ( ):

Wikipedia wrote:Not surprisingly for animals with long slender yet powerful legs, antelopes have long strides and can run fast.

Like many other herbivores, antelopes rely on keen senses to avoid predators . . . Acute senses of smell and hearing, give antelope the ability to perceive danger at night out in the open (when predators are often on the prowl).

When faced with a predator, an antelope might do any of the following things: "For example, the Steenbok of open woodland will lie low until the last minute and then bound away. Plains-living species, such as gazelles, do not have this choice and must flee at speed when a predator approaches. Reaction distances vary with predator species and predator behaviour. For example, gazelles may not flee from a lion until it is closer than 200 m (650 ft)—lions hunt as a pride or by surprise, usually by stalking, one that can be seen clearly is unlikely to attack. However, sprint-dependent cheetahs will cause gazelles to flee at a range of over 800 m (0.5 mile)."

(Emphasis added.)

I may be wrong, and if someone else knows something, by all means, please speak up, but I'm guessing that antelopes are fast and spread out over a wide range, as well as flee quickly when faced with a predator. Those fast buggers are probably really hard to hunt from the ground. I'm guessing that a helicopter is just the means used to successfully hunt antelope.

Even though antelope-hunting has successfully distracted me, I'll have to now get back to work.

shouldn't it be...

woke up in the morning...lamb brains

Thanks for the great review, makisupa12. I'm looking forward to my first visit to Schwa tomorrow night, in celebration of my lady's birthday. I tried to avoid looking at the menu online, but I couldn't resist. Looks like we'll be enjoying a meal pretty much identical to yours.

Not to pry, but I have to ask: did you request the quail-egg ravioli, or did Chef Carlson intuit that you'd want it? Having heard and read so much about this item, I'm really eager to try it, but at the same time understand that the chef has taken this off the menu to keep things innovative, etc.

we hinted about the quail egg ravioli but others were also served it when we were there too, so not sure if he appreciated knowing we had been there before or if just being generous.

Makisupa Policeman
Phish song...lyrics go "Hey Makisupa Policeman. Policeman came to my house.." and then had a key phrase or word in the middle that Trey always changed up each show