{"id":276,"date":"2010-11-05T23:08:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-05T23:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/endoedibles.ifm.yji.mybluehost.me\/?p=276"},"modified":"2010-11-05T23:08:00","modified_gmt":"2010-11-05T23:08:00","slug":"schwa-chicago-il","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/?p=276","title":{"rendered":"Schwa, Chicago IL"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019re reading this site you are likely aware of Schwa, Chef Michael Carlson, the obscure reservations system, and even the GQ Article that vaulted the restaurant above other temples of molecular gastronomy as \u201cThe Most Revolutionary Restaurant in America.\u201d <\/span>Hailed by some as a genius, some as an artist, and some as a mad scientist or simply a madman there is no doubt in Carlson\u2019s pedigree \u2013 classic Italian training both in Italy and alongside Bartolotta at Spiaggia paired with training in molecular cuisine with Achatz (while at Trio) and Blumenthal at the Fat Duck. <\/span>What may be in doubt, however, is the seemingly nonchalant, renegade, or downright annoying process of getting to eat Michael\u2019s cuisine.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Calling on the last day of September in hopes of getting a seat for the weekend of my visit in November I was shocked when Carlson actually answered the phone at 12:30pm Ohio time. <\/span>Sounding a bit perplexed by my question of \u201cDid reservations for November open up today?\u201d he responded \u201cUm, yeah\u201d and proceeded to take my number (no name) and date\/time of reservation. <\/span>After a quick read of the BYOB policy he said \u201cpeace, see ya on the 4th\u201d and the line went silent. <\/span>Wanting to make sure my reservation was legit I tried to call back a couple times in October but always reached their full voicemail box\u2026.then on November 2nd I got a call from Mathew to confirm \u2013 6pm \u2013 again, no name was requested.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Flash forward to November 4th – 4:00pm the phone rings as I\u2019m browsing in Crate&Barrel \u2013 it is Matt again. <\/span>\u201cBro, man, we\u2019ve got a problem.\u201d <\/span>A problem with the building\u2026we\u2019re cancelling service tonight\u2026we also just had two people quit\u2026we\u2019re really sorry\u2026we\u2019ll make it up to you\u2026any date you like\u2026etc. <\/span>Explaining that I was in from out of town he stated he would \u201ccall the chef and get back to me in ten minutes.\u201d <\/span>That call never came. <\/span>Frustrated I called back and met that same familiar voice recording over and over\u2026eventually after approximately 20 calls (and 35 minutes) Matt again answered \u2013 I explained I was the guy from Ohio and got a \u201cOh, s&%$ man, I forgot.\u201d <\/span>To this point I\u2019m still uncertain as to whether he forgot to call or forgot I even existed \u2013 the whole conversation was very disjointed and full of \u201cum,\u201d \u201cbro,\u201d and \u201cdude\u201d but regardless he told me that they were going to open up \u201cearly\u201d the next day to get us in \u2013 when I asked for a time he told me 7:00pm and again read the scripted BYOB policy. <\/span>A quick scramble to swap my Bonsoiree reservation and things seemed, at least for the time being, set.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Having just whetted my appetite with my sister and her friend at Great Lake we made the quick trip to North Ashland and found the restaurant looking just as I\u2019d seen in pictures \u2013 certainly not the portrait of haute cuisine. <\/span>Receiving a text message from my friend Dave that he\u2019d be there around 7:05 I bid my companions farewell and entered the restaurant \u2013 the darkest dining room I\u2019ve ever seen, completely empty, and Redman and Methodman blaring \u2013 I laughed and thought back to my experience at Ko\u2026the music, the setting\/neighborhood, the reservation system\u2026everything felt a bit familiar. <\/span>Standing in the middle of the room for a few moments I watched the motion of the kitchen \u2013 Carlson hand cutting pasta through the illuminated window suddenly looked up and motioned to one of his colleagues, Matt, who came out to the dining room and said \u201chey bro, can I help you?\u201d <\/span>Introducing myself I was met with a \u201ccool, cool \u2013 the dude from Ohio, right \u2013 I thought we said 7:30?\u201d <\/span>Knowing for fact he\u2019d said 7:00 but largely unconcerned he led me to the two-top closest to the kitchen where I would sit for approximately 10 minutes before Dave arrived \u2013 water was filled and I was left to listen to Wu-Tang, Ozzy, Mastadon, KRS One, Tupac, and a progression of loud music while watching the small team of three (Matt, Matt, and Michael) work the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Arriving with wine, Dave was greeted quickly and the bottle was taken back to the kitchen. <\/span>Not recalling what wine Dave brought I\u2019ll note that glasses were kept full throughout the evening and Matthew even opened up some of the wine in the kitchen to pair a Pinot Noir with the lighter courses. <\/span>Still the only full table in the restaurant both Matt and Michael visited the table to welcome us and service began quickly. <\/span>Without going into too much detail I will note that throughout the evening service was excellent despite the fact that the chefs were also the servers and although there was a lot of slang and mumbling the plates were delivered with extensive description of ingredients, technique, and inspiration \u2013 the team also went out of their way to learn about diners (asking what dishes\/ingredients worked or didn\u2019t, inquiring about our jobs and interest, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Without further ado \u2013 while I\u2019m sure some of my descriptions are lacking an ingredient or five (the menu I was given at the end of the night listed 3-4 ingredients per plate) the meal started off with the night\u2019s amuse – Clarified Bloody Mary with spicy tomato, pepper, and pork. <\/span>Similar to Alinea\u2019s Thai Distillation this simple shot was exactly what you\u2019d expect from the title \u2013 hot and savory, smooth and refreshing. <\/span>Interestingly when Matthew saw me snap a picture he offered the advice \u201cdon\u2019t worry if you wanna use flash dude, it\u2019s pretty dark in here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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With the soundtrack blasting Busta Rhymes our first course arrived \u2013 \u201cOctopus – Pineapple, Macadamia Nut, Char.\u201d <\/span>Featuring supple slow boiled octopus that lacked any semblance of chewy\/rubberiness cascaded across the plate atop smears of burnt pineapple and macadamia nut puree the flavor of the cephalopod was nicely complimented by the sweet and nutty admixtures. <\/span>Adding complexity and texture would be thinly sliced pan seared arctic char, shaved nori, baked yucca chips, and micro greens while dots of aged Sherry vinegar lent a savory finish.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When course two arrived we were still enjoying our three:two server\/chef:diner ratio and Carlson delivered the plate himself. <\/span>Titled \u201cElote \u2013 Corn, Lime, Cojita\u201d the plate featured Warm corn soup made with \u201cmayonnaise and cilantro pudding\u201d and a side salad consisting of charred corn, lime puree, chili spiced popcorn, and cojita cheese. <\/span>Interestingly using the lime to adhere the cup to the plate we were instructed to eat this \u201chowever you like\u201d and after a taste of the soup \u2013 a fantastic flavor\/texture best described as cornbread veloute \u2013 <\/span>I proceded to add bits of corn, cheese, and lime to the admixture which produced more nuanced flavors. <\/span>All in all my least favorite course of the meal, but a successful take on the popular Hispanic street food which the course was named after.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It was with course three that the soundtrack switched from Rap to Metal, loud and heavy either way, and more patrons began arriving\u2026as a matter of fact, the restaurant went from empty to full almost immediately at 7:45pm and we chuckled as a few patrons were turned away despite bringing boozy gifts for the kitchen. <\/span>With service slowing only slightly the next plate was one of Carlson\u2019s more famous options – \u201cTagliatelle – veal heart, huckleberries, honey.\u201d <\/span>Featuring a spiral of hand cut pasta snaking up the edge of the bowl and topped with chopped veal heart, whole huckleberries, Tellagio cheese, honeyed <\/span>veal demiglaze, shaved black truffles, and arugula this course once again showed off Carlson\u2019s fondness for sweetened proteins. <\/span>Tender and al dente the pasta itself was beautiful but the star of the show was undoubtedly the manner in which the sweet gravy enhanced the savory offal. <\/span>This course and its follow-up were the only courses where I truly wished there was bread service at Schwa as I would have loved to sop up every drop of the sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our next course would be offered as a \u201cbonus\u201d and true to rumor when a later table requested the dish they were told it could not be accommodated as the kitchen had \u201crun out.\u201d <\/span>As much a signature as anything at Schwa, Carlson\u2019s famous Quail Egg Yolk Ravioli with Buffalo ricotta, brown butter, white truffle, and Chive was every bit as good as the rumors. <\/span>Likely influenced by his time at Trio with Achatz (who was then perfecting Black Truffle Explosion) the Ravioli was served solo and we were instructed to let it cool a moment and then eat it in a single bite. <\/span>Bursting in the mouth and potentially the only dish of the evening lacking substantial sweetness I\u2019m going to go out on a limb and say I enjoyed this even more than Achatz\u2019s fabled dish \u2013 the texture of the molten egg yolk was simply one of the best mouth-feels I can imagine and the brown butter\/white truffle combination was divine on the palate.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Returning to the menu, course four was an interesting dish of opposing flavors that worked much better than one would expect. <\/span>Titled \u201cRoe \u2013 Watermelon, Violet\u201d the course was served in a rounded bowl and featured Steelhead Roe floating in a semi-solid watermelon gelee and topped with viola flowers. <\/span>On the edge of the bowl rested a curl of watermelon rind and on the plate balancing the rounded bowl was a bit of tempura steelhead roe. <\/span>Taking my first bite of the dish I was instantly struck by the hefty flavors of watermelon \u2013 a flavor so strong it almost tasted artificial like Bubbalicious \u2013 but on mastication a pleasant salinity broke through as the caviar burst on the tongue and the overall effect was something like tapioca pudding in texture and with the aroma of violet the course seemed to serve as a palate cleanser to both the tongue and the nostrils. <\/span>Not to be forgotten, the rind was cured and somewhat vinegar-sweet while the tempura roe was intensely briny and crisp.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For our fish course, \u201cHalibut \u2013 Anchovy, Black Garlic, Zucchini\u201d would arrive as the largest portion size of the meal. <\/span>With easily 3 ounces of broiled and seared Halibut centering the plate the day boat fish was perfectly flaky and tender. <\/span>Seated amidst crispy garlic chips, grilled zucchini, sprigs of lavender, and drizzles of sesame oil the fish was additionally paired with three distinct smears \u2013 sweet black garlic, tangy Greek yogurt, and subtly briny white anchovy puree. <\/span>Tasting the fish with each component provided a different experience and although diverse in scope each item served to highlight the protein without distracting from the others.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Course six would be another familiar face on the Schwa menu \u2013 \u201cBiscuits and Gravy \u2013 Sweetbreads, Red Eye Gravy, Mustard.\u201d <\/span>Described as a tribute to Michael\u2019s southern grandmother the dish featured three plump and crispy sweetbreads with characteristic creamy centers juxtaposed with three tiny buttermilk biscuits from his grandmother\u2019s recipe. <\/span>A lovely start, the plate was next supplemented with bitter braised mustard greens, fibrous Chinese black beans, ground pink peppercorns, micro-arugula, miniature pearl onions, and coffee spiked redeye gravy. <\/span>With each flavor playing a part in the entirely southern feeling dish I have to admit I was a bit taken aback by the spiciness of the gravy \u2013 it was appropriate for the dish, but required nearly a whole glass of water on my admittedly un-southern tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our main course, arriving during a particularly loud and profanity laden track by Nas, would be one of Carlson\u2019s more recent creations \u2013 a dish detailed as \u201cS\u2019mores \u2013 beef mole, graham, marshmallow, campfire.\u201d <\/span>Having to walk through the kitchen to get to the restroom I\u2019d seen this course being prepped earlier in the meal \u2013 or at seen Carlson taking the Wagyu from the sous vide bag and shredding it. <\/span>Featuring Wagyu short ribs in a cocoa nib mole that literally melted on the tongue, the dish was topped with crumbled graham crackers, a creamy graham cracker puree, and black cardamom marshmallow all placed in a cone. <\/span>With the cone resting in a smoking vessel we were instructed to lift the cone and eat with a spoon while the campfire smoke poured forth. <\/span>Again pairing intense sweetness with a traditionally savory dish I can say that of all the creations I experienced at Schwa this is probably the most memorable \u2013 it was a truly beautiful and on par with the Tagliatelle for best of the night. <\/span>As an added bonus the dish included an ounce of Gran Marnier consomm\u00e9 as a \u201csidecar\u201d \u2013 intensely boozy with hints of orange and cinnamon, another intriguing palate cleanser.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The night\u2019s cheese course would prove to be small, intense, and unlike any other cheese course in my experience\u2026no surprise, all things considering. <\/span>Titled \u201cPretzels and Beer\u201d the course featured a small pretzel gougere stuffed with Chimay Cheese and topped with Chimay Beer Foam sitting on a puddle of Mustard Paint. <\/span>A single bite, a flash on the palate \u2013 first mustard, then beer, then a creamy lingering finish. <\/span>While I\u2019m a fan of neither mustard nor beer neither of them were overly potent when compared to the cheese and I still wonder how Carlson managed to form a pretzel that dissolved on the tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For our dessert course we received the dish I\u2019d expected, \u201cCelery Root \u2013 Banana, Chocolate, Caramel.\u201d <\/span>Featuring a pool of sweetened celery soup with slowly melting white chocolate mousse at its base and a disk of celery root cake at the center the cake itself was next topped with a shard of white chocolate while a rum roasted bruleed banana doused with salted caramel sat alongside. <\/span>Topping the dish with Banana leather and clover I have to say that the cake itself was almost too celery for me \u2013 someone who eats celery frequently and loves the flavor \u2013 and my friend did not enjoy it at all. <\/span>The key to this dish, however, seemed to lie in combining everything at once and taking a bite \u2013 the bitterness of the celery, the sweetness of the banana, the smoothness of the chocolate, and the salty caramel forming a unique flavor that tasted something like heavily sweetened matcha.<\/span><\/p>\n

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With the place jam packed and the decibel level rising as people enjoyed their beverages of choice (yes, even the guy who brought the case of PBR) Michael and Matt both visited our table once again to thank me for adjusting my schedule to accommodate the issues of the night before \u2013 \u201cwe really wanted to cook for you guys, but sometimes s#@% just happens \u2013 it\u2019s awesome that you could make it.\u201d <\/span>Thanking them we were told we could hang out as long as we liked as they had no more reservations for the evening \u2013 they even offered to pour us some beer which we politely declined. <\/span>Arriving with the check and a copy of the menu Matt said \u201cseriously guys, we don\u2019t f#$& up \u2013 whenever you\u2019re ready\u201d and opening the check we found that we\u2019d been given half off the tab. <\/span>Leaving a $75 tip for the awesome evening we thanked the crew once again and made our way to the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A bizarre restaurant and experience in all ways it is really hard to sum up what Schwa \u201cis\u201d in the grand scheme of restaurants when looking back on it. <\/span>The best comparison I can offer up is the one I assumed going in \u2013 Momofuku Ko. <\/span>Obscure reservation system, off beat location, \u201ccome as you are\u201d dress code, blaring music, and obscure ingredient pairings that somehow work. <\/span>With that said, the bar stools, snooty attitude, excessive price tag, and NO pictures policy at Ko speaks to a restaurant that doesn\u2019t care what you think \u2013 they believe it is a privilege to experience their vision. <\/span>On the contrary, quoting Michael Carlson himself, \u201cWe cook food we want to eat in an environment we want to eat it in\u201d and \u201cOur game plan is the same game plan as every night. We’re making 30 people happy.” <\/span>On November 5th 2010 Schwa made me very happy and it was absolutely worth the effort.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re reading this site you are likely aware of Schwa, Chef Michael Carlson, the obscure reservations system, and even the GQ Article that vaulted the restaurant above other temples of molecular gastronomy as \u201cThe Most Revolutionary Restaurant in America.\u201d … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96,13,97,16,48,61,392,62,65,83,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chicago","category-dessert","category-illinois","category-italian","category-octopus","category-pork","category-schwa","category-sweetbreads","category-tasting-menu","category-truffle","category-vacation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/endoedibles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}