What to order at Schwa
Go out with a creative culinary bang.
THE VISIONARY LAST SUPPER
After waiting for somebody to answer the phone, and then getting on the wait list, and then waiting for the day of your reservation to arrive, you may walk in the door at Schwa only to look around and think: This is it? The room is not so much minimalist as simply underdecorated, and the formalities of a fine-dining experience—things like hosts, coat check, hell, even busboys—are nonexistent.
So, yes, this is it. And if you do it right, you’ll find that it’s exactly this unusual and sometimes awkward (you walk through the tiny kitchen to get to the tinier bathroom) juxtaposition that makes Schwa a singular experience. First, relax. Feel free to ask questions, but don’t make any petty demands at the start—this experience comes best as it is, not tailored to your specifications. Put the bottles of wine you brought with you on ice—you should bring plenty of whites with good acidic backbones, like a dry Riesling, or something even more acidic, like a New Zealand sauvignon blanc (throw in a hearty Washington merlot if you really can’t survive without a red). Now, wait. Chef Michael Carlson or one of his cohorts will bring the food out to you. All the dishes (they change all the time, and no, you can’t place an order for anything) will be unlikely unions: sweetbreads with a glassy coating of candy, tagliatelle with pickled veal heart. At some point during the meal you’ll probably receive a lone ravioli hiding a rich quail egg inside. If you don’t, ask for one. Like the room, it’s nothing really exciting to look at. But by this point your attention hopefully will have been directed squarely at your plate. —DT
1466 N Ashland Ave, 773-252-1466
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