Foodie Digest

On a recent visit to Chicago we were lucky enough to score a reservation at Schwa. If you’ve ever tried to get a reservation here, I’d say don’t give up! We called about 6 weeks in advance and left a message, then played telephone tag when the return call came 3 weeks later. Each time Michael (the chef!) called he was incredibly nice and just, well, cool.

We’d have a few recent letdowns in Chicago at both Avec and Volo so it was with hopeful expectations we arrived at Schwa on Saturday night. Walking in the door the small — 26 person — dining room felt like we were intruding until we were warmly welcomed and shown our table. Schwa is byob and they took away our wine to open and our beer to chill, then asked us if we were open to trying some other wines and beers their friends had dropped off. We were happy to try whatever they suggested.

From the Schwa website, let me list the current tasting menu.
amuse: this was white anchovy and I can’t remember what else (oh! grapefruit) served on a cube. Single shot. Incredible. I restrained myself from taking photos which means that you’ll have to imagine the white anchovy as almost a light mousse with other flavors. A great start to the meal. They poured me a nice sparkling wine.

henricks gin: cucumber, rose, coriander. So I admit I had low expectations of this. I thought it’d be a gin tasting shot — and I don’t even like gin! Instead this was a rectangular plate spread with a delicate gel. This was topped with cucumber and “gin” balls about the size of large fish eggs. Baby coriander sprigs as well as cucumber flowers filled with other flavors. This was fantastic (so I’ll keep saying about each course we had). This dish was delicate with a great infusion of deconstructed gin flavors.

Somewhere, either with this dish or the one after it, I was given a sparkling french cider.
french onion soup: again, this was a dish I was thinking would just be OK because too many onions do me in. But again, I was greeted with a delightful surprise. A small container of a hearty onion broth. The side was a gruyere crouton and I wish I could remember what else was on the plate. Also perfect flavors.

phad thai: the noodles in this pad thai were jellyfish. An inventive take on a traditional thai dish. Again, you guessed it, fantastic.

Surprise Dish!: Not on the menu (and I can’t remember exactly when it arrived). This was a dish I’d read about and hoped we’d be lucky enough to receive. Quail egg ravioli in a white truffle sauce. Eat in one bite. And oh, what an amazing bite it was. I do think this will go and remain on my list of top 10 bites ever. 


whitefish roe:white asparagus, black garlic, bacon. The white asparagus was presented as a spear as well as julienned. The bacon was both in puree smoky form as well as paper thin crisps. The plate arrive with artful smears of bacon, black garlic, and salmon colored roe. Again, an amazing combination

At some point I had a glass of vouvray (sp?) white as well as a glass of the Bogle phantom red I brought. Oh, and a cab, I think. I won’t try to remember the pairings.


cobia: smoke, watermelon, red pepper. This was great. The watermelon was an agua fresca-like shot. 


pickled beef tongue: fig, natto, tea: Great flavor of fig. The fermented natto added a nice balance to the pickled beef tongue.
 

rabbit peaches, gumballhead, wheatgrass: We learned that gumballhead is made at an amazing 5 person brewery in Indiana. Oh, and it’s a beer. This plate came with the peaches mandolined and spread across the bottom. The rabbit shaped in a perfect disc as well. It’s incredibly tender and inventive. (the entire meal of course is inventive)


cheese: this is creamy and is served with a spoon. I remember really loving it. But by now they’ve poured me a lot of wine so as much as I could tell the flavors while eating it I can’t quite recall them now.

another surprise dish! this was a green curry ice cream with a cone made of um, I can’t remember. Really great and bright flavor. A lovely surprise.


dessert: and this why I can remember nothing else. The dessert is also in my top ten things ever. Candied sweetbreads served with parsnip in a rectangular almost gelatin form. Candied sweetbreads. They were unforgettable. All I thought about on my way home.


Throughout the night the chefs who brought us our food were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and just cool. You can tell they love what they’re doing and we so loved the experience.

If you can get reservations here DO. It will be one of your most enjoyable evenings.

Overall thumbs: Up. The highest up I can imagine.

Tastiness rating: High. By far the best tasting menu I’ve ever experienced. The first time I can think of where every item was perfectly conceived and executed.

Service rating: Great and very cool. Everyone had time to stop and talk to us. The pride in their menu shows with every conversation about it and everyone — absolutely everyone — was someone you’d want to hang out and chill with. 

My highest recommendation.