After months of waiting, my reservation for Schwa has finally arrived, and bummer of all bummers, I managed to get sick and two others in our party backed out, so...

...if anyone wants to go to Schwa tomorrow night (Tuesday, Aug 7th, 9pm) you can take my reservation. It's for a party of 5, but they can probably go for 4 or 6. PM me if you want it.

As an added bonus (or disincentive) I'll be at Schwa at the same time tomorrow night, probably flying solo. Come say hi; I'm sure I'll stick out.

SungBros -

If it is still available, I might snag that from you!

Check your private messages.

Thanks!

So just my luck, but I was told that Schwa's cooler broke down last night and they'd be closed for the evening. I'm assuming this is true and they're not trying to pull a fast one on me.

They offered me a 9:30 on Thursday, my last night in Chicago, so maybe that'll work out.

BryanZ -

Bummer. Would have been nice to go tonight.

J.R.

I'm thinking the 10-course at Moto. I don't think I can handle the GTM by myself.

Is it easier to get reservs at Moto?

Yeah, I got in no problem at 7:30-8:00.

Brian,

I had a somewhat similar experience at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. This is what I wrote at the time (the full text is on the Blue Hill thread):

The first serious meal that I ate in New York this year was at Blue Hill. So to provide symmetry my friend and I decided to return, but now to Blue Hill at Stone Barns. We dutifully made a commitment and assured the reservationist that nothing could prevent us from showing up at the appointed time. And so we fought our way through Grand Central. Upon alighting in Tarrytown with plenty of time in the gray, thick, heated air, we hailed a cab to be told that a storm had blown through and traffic was slow. Yet, our cabbie was a roadmaster and we arrived at Stone Barns at precisely 5:30, just as promised.

Stop the presses! Tarrytown had just experienced what in New York passes for a tornado, not an Oklahoma Supercell, but what my friends in Tulsa call "a bit of wind." The storm knocked out local electricity. And after our long trek, we were informed by a staffette that the kitchen was closed.

Say it ain't so, Dan. At most restaurants this might be a problem, but Blue Hill should treat it as a challenge. This is a restaurant that prides itself on its ingredients. No heat? OK, let's picnic. At 5:30, there were daylight hours left and a few candles were to be had.

This was an opportunity for Dan Barber to demonstrate that cojones are not just to slice and fry. Here is where we separate the chef from the sheep. A stream of hungry diners appeared, each turned away with an apology and a smile. We were informed that the staff didn't want to enter the coolers because the food would spoil! Sheesh! An opportunity squandered!

Use that luscious asparagus, luxurious berries, oysters, clams, apples, beans, mint, lettuce, nuts, and guanciale. Whip up some Hollandaise. Who needs a blender? Pour oil and vinegar. Open some wine. Start a campfire for S'mores. Have the staff at Blue Hill downtown form a caravan. Show the customers your stuff and show it gratis.

So, has anyone tried the new menu? The last time I was there, they were doing incredible things with meats (e.g., prosciutto consomme), so I'm curious about the new vegetarian focus.

So here's my Schwa story. After they canceled on me on Tuesday, I was slated to come in yesterday, Thursday. I received a call on Thursday morning to inform me that they still wouldn't be opening.

The guy named Blake over there is pretty much my arch nemesis. I've seriously never had such a difficult time eating at a restaurant, and I like to think I've secured some pretty tough tables. Usually I'm victorious, but this time it just didn't happen.

BryanZ wrote:So here's my Schwa story. After they canceled on me on Tuesday, I was slated to come in yesterday, Thursday. I received a call on Thursday morning to inform me that they still wouldn't be opening.

The guy named Blake over there is pretty much my arch nemesis. I've seriously never had such a difficult time eating at a restaurant, and I like to think I've secured some pretty tough tables. Usually I'm victorious, but this time it just didn't happen.

Blake's a good guy. Sometimes, stuff just happens that's beyond anyone's control. You've had some bad luck over Schwa but you're taking it way too personally, IMO. It's not like the restaurant was just closed to you. Have some empathy for these guys. They've come back from some extended time off only to be met with some serious problems that they cannot remedy on their own. I'm sure they're far more frustrated with the situation than you are. After all, it's their livelihoods that are -- until this is resolved -- on hold. For you, it's just one missed meal.

=R=

Yeah, my posts come off as rather melodramatic. I'm bummed, but I don't see it as a personal sleight against me at all. Life sucks for them a lot more than it does for me, that's for sure. It's just unfortunate that I planned for Schwa to be my last major meal of my summer in Chicago and was shut down, twice.

And I plan to go back as soon as I'm back in Chicago. It's become like a personal mission. If this Blake dude can get me in in the future, as he said he would, I'll bring him some beers.

berryberry wrote:So, has anyone tried the new menu? The last time I was there, they were doing incredible things with meats (e.g., prosciutto consomme), so I'm curious about the new vegetarian focus.

Based on changes at their website, it looks like the vegetarian menu is no more (if it ever was?). The current nine-course menu shows a prosciutto consomme salad, an uku preparation with bacon, a tripe offering, and short rib with corn and watermelon.

It's probably also worth pointing out that the days of operation appear to have changed from Mon. through Fri. to Tues. through Sat. (closed Sun. and Mon.). Might be worth calling for a Saturday reservation in the near future on the chance that the Saturdays haven't filled up as far in advance because it's a new option.

I recently sampled the "phad thai" that is now listed on their menu. Interestingly, the noodles in the dish were replaced by strands of jellyfish which you would think are glass noodles -- it was very good.

I recently sampled the "phad thai" that is now listed on their menu. Interestingly, the noodles in the dish were replaced by strands of jellyfish which you would think are glass noodles -- it was very good.

They served this small course at the recent charity event - Chefs and the City @ The Peninsula.

Very good if not a little overpowering with the peanut sauce.

I hate to do this, but is anyone interested in a reservation for 2 @ 6:30 this Friday? (August 17th) Something else has come up and I will not be able to keep this reservation and I would rather offer it to the group than just cancel it. I do think they have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so if I don't hear from anyone by about this time tomorrow, I will just cancel it.

Please PM me if you are interested.

Thanks

Reservation is gone, thanks.

if anybody has an reservation they are going to give up please pm me and i will take it off your hands. i have a friend coming in this weekend that would love to go.

headcase wrote:
Reservation is gone, thanks.

yep, booked in for tomorrow night, can't wait... thanks

BR wrote:I recently sampled the "phad thai" that is now listed on their menu. Interestingly, the noodles in the dish were replaced by strands of jellyfish which you would think are glass noodles -- it was very good.

I agree the pad thai was excellent, as was the short rib and uku. Wasn't a huge fan of the consomme, and the "ice cream" part of the pine cone was a bit too hardcore for me (although the filling in the base of the cone was delicious).

All in all an entertaining evening, and great service and atmosphere... I'll be back...

This may seem like an odd question, but I'll probably be attempting to get a reservation at Schwa in the next few months and feel it's a legit question....

Since the chefs do all the serving, there's no wine service, etc - how much, if at all really, do you normally tip?

20%+.

I don't see why the fact that they're also cooking would affect the tip they receive. They're still great, competent, affable servers. They still open and pour your wine. They still bring you silverware as appropriate, etc.

gleam wrote:20%+.

I don't see why the fact that they're also cooking would affect the tip they receive. They're still great, competent, affable servers. They still open and pour your wine. They still bring you silverware as appropriate, etc.

My question about tip is because they aren't "waiters" they are chefs and therefore - I would think, but will cheerfully stand corrected if not - are probably being compensated appropriately from the house.

Of course, when I ate at Moto, where everyone rotates, I didn't hesitate tipping, so my logic is admitedly flawed.

I agree -- 18-20%, if not more, depending on your satisfaction of the meal.

And as far as chefs and cooks getting otherwise compensated, my understanding -- based on my roommate's experiences, who works as a chef -- is that the back of the house rarely gets paid as much as the front of the house in the high-end restaurants. Tips may be split with all the waiters, servers, bussers, bartenders, but not the cooks. Again, I'm speaking generally -- obviously Schwa fits in a little differently to the standard model for fine dining experiences.

My many experiences interacting with the chefs at Schwa while they are in their “serving” roles, has made me more than comfortable adding 20% + to my bill each time I have dined there. Each time, they have more than earned that in my opinion – certainly I believe the tips I have left them were much more earned then many a tip I have left traditional servers in other establishments. I suspect this trend will continue when I visit again next Thursday.

I think the wage structure of the restaurant or the manner in which service is provided is irrelevant. If you feel you've received professional service, you should be tipping what you would normally tip for professional service.

Anyone have current or prospective (autumn) prices for the available tasting menus at Schwa?

Santander wrote:Anyone have current or prospective (autumn) prices for the available tasting menus at Schwa?

The 10-course, which I had the pleasure to experience earlier this week, is priced at $105. I can't remember the price of the shorter menu.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our Schwa experience started with an unexpected phone call a couple hours before the reservation time. It was the ever-thorough Blake calling to warn us that the AC was not working at 100%. As such, we were encouraged to dress appropriately. Not only was I going to Schwa, I'd be able to wear shorts! A dream meal . . .

When we arrived, the space was plenty cool and in an effort to keep it even cooler, the lights were turned down lower than usual (or at least seemed to be). That's why these images, taken without flash, are a bit noisy. Still, I think (and hope) they help capture the essence of this remarkably successful and satisfying meal.


Cherry fruit 'leather' with thyme-accented cherry ice cream
This starter really set the tone for our meal. Not only was the combination of cherry and thyme a surprisingly harmonious combination but Schwa's mastery over ingredients was conveyed clearly here.



Prosciutto consomme salad
In the past, I'd had the delicious prosciutto consomme in liquid form at Schwa. Here, chef Carlson and crew turned that dish on its side by transforming the consomme into a gelee and coating the entire plate with a thin layer of it. Atop that base were accents of prosciutto in a couple of other forms (fresh slices, dried chips), fresh bits of melon and fresh baby arugula. A great combination of flavors and textures.



Cauliflower soup with curry, chocolate
This course was the point in the meal where it transcended and went to the next level. Thinking that there was no way this could possibly work, I sipped the warm cauliflower soup, which was topped with a cold dollup of sweet chocolate emulsion. Amazingly, delightfully, the ingredients were delicious together. On the plate, roasted, curried cauliflower paired with dark chocolate again challenged my notion of what works and what doesn't. The well-seasoned and perfectly cooked cauliflower paired wonderfully with the soft dark chocolate. I was stunned and delighted. This was a real eye-opener.



Pad thai
This immensely tasty portion of pad thai had one substantial twist: the noodle element was replaced by jellyfish. I and everyone at our table loved it. I'm not sure how much I could actually taste the jellyfish on its own but the course completely succeeded as pad thai with rich and sweet peanut accents.



Quail egg ravioli
We were told that they're trying to get this classic off the menu but it's been hard to do. Since we were with friends who'd never been to Schwa, I was glad to see this on the menu . . . and, of course, that wasn't the only reason



Pine-cone
Uni ice cream cone with pink peppercorn accent. I love having these Iron Chef moments. When else would uni ice cream and I cross paths? I thought this dish was a refreshing bridge between courses. It was very subtle and tasted a bit briney with an ocean-like aroma. It primed our palates for the course that followed.



Rockfish with lychee, mango and bacon
I saw chef removing these beautiful nuggets from the fryer no more than a few seconds before they appeared on plates in front of us. The fish itself was tender, moist and flakey. The coating, which contained some coconut, paired very well with the lychee and mango and the sweet smokiness of the bacon pulled the whole dish together wonderfully.



Panzanella
Of the 4 in our party, I am the only true fan of tripe. Here, as in the pad thai dish described above, chef put a wildly distinctive -- and successful -- touch on a 'tried and true' classic. Rather than the traditional panzanella, this version was comprised of bread and braised tripe. The entire 'salad' was dressed in a tart and slightly spicy mayo and topped with shaved parmagiano reggiano. Aged balsamic, basil oil and sweet 100 tomatoes rounded out the plate and provided distinctive bursts of flavor that complemented the tripe perfectly.



BBQ plate
This was a fun play on a traditional bbq plate. The tender short rib was topped with a smoked plum bbq sauce. My previous meal at Schwa incorporated the smoked plum element into a fantastic sweetbread dish. Here, that element was pushed along a bit further into a succulent bbq sauce, which went perfectly with the beef. The well-seasoned (with demura sugar, etc.) and caramelized section of corn on the cob was supremely delicious as was the popcorn puree -- plumed with a popcorn shoot -- served alongside of it. The watermelon salad was actually a frozen, granita-like rendition that was dotted with crispy bits of pickled onion. Fantastic!



Cheese course
This intense one-biter of risotto spiked with epoisse cheese and flanked with huckleberry puree, was a great transition between the savory and sweet portions of the meal.



Intermezzo
Here, aromatic camomile gelee, tart rhubarb puree and and creamy-cool honey sorbet combined into a potent intermezzo which successfully reset and re-sparked our palates. After all the intense flavors we'd enjoyed, this well-conceived bite really delivered.



Cape gooseberry cheesecake
Desserts are almost always surprising at Schwa. This cape gooseberry cheesecake was notably un-sweet but still scratched the dessert itch very effectively. I loved the way the rich cheese, tart gooseberries and nutty macadamia nuts worked together. The macadamia nuts took a couple of forms -- they were incorporated into the crust of the cheesecake and some were roasted and turned into a smooth puree that was also on the plate.



Cheesecake
A closer look at the cheesecake.

With the possible exception of my first time at Schwa -- during which I was completely blown away -- this was the best meal I'd ever enjoyed there. I marvelled at the cohesiveness of the menu and the progression of the courses, which I thought was brilliant. So many times, tasting menus run off in directions that are hard to make sense of, or that cause elements of the meal to interfere with each other. The exact opposite was true in this case. From beginning to end, our meal was seamless. Each course, while satisfying in its own right, seemed to 'set up' the palate for next one.

If I took a month off of work, I'd probably come out of it in a loagy stupor. Happily, the same cannot be said about Michael Carlson and the chefs at Schwa. After taking off the entire month of July, they returned to the restaurant at the very top of their game. Like a lot of my very favorite places, Schwa keeps getting better. It's a truly exciting restaurant that engages, enlightens and satisfies.

=R=

I can't believe it, on a whim I called Schwa just to see if they had any cancellations tonight. I'm putting a project to bed today and was looking for a special dinner.

To my utter shock the gentleman on the phone informed me that yes, they had indeed had a cancelation.

Dinner is at 7:00 and I have a few very nice bottles of wine selected.

Report to follow.

Schwa is closed.

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/