Chicago Restaurants

Schwa

#17 of 830 things to do in Chicago

#320 of 19972 things to do in USA

1 reviews | Write a review

Good for: Romance, food, service

  • Address
    • 1466 N Ashland Ave
  • Transport
    • Blue line to Division
  • Website
  • Phone
    • 773-252-1466
  • Price
    • 9-course menu $110
  • Hours
    • dinner Tue-Sat

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Lonely Planet review for Schwa

Exceedingly popular – reservations for chef Michael Carlson’s masterful restaurant should be booked around the same time as your airline ticket. The fact that Carlson worked at Alinea is apparent in an avant-garde, three- or nine-course menu (go for the nine) that redefines American comfort food via such dishes as apple-pie soup. The setup is progressive, too, with chefs also acting as servers. The intimate room is bookended by black wood floors and has a mirrored ceiling.

 

Traveller reviews for Schwa (1)

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    Dinner Theater

    johntolley recommends this,

    A recent dinner in December (by course):
    1. A cold, slurped shot of Grapefruit Brunoise w/ honey sorbet, sprinkled w/ chamomile leaves
    2. Hendrick's gin gelee dressed with cucumber ribbons, rosewater tapioca pearls, coriander seed, & juniper ice
    3. Smooth Sunchoke coup w/ a drop of licorice syrup, bitter orange & carrot puree, & sunchoke sprout salad
    4. Pad Thai w/ jellyfish noodles
    5. Ravioli stuffed w/ a runny quail egg yolk in an herb-butter sauce w/ shaved white truffle
    6. Cinnamon-Ricotta tortelloni in a smoked heirloom tomato sauce
    7. Poached & shredded white asparagus w/ bacon puree, fermented garlic puree, brioche puree, crispy bacon & whitefish roe
    8. Butter-poached lobster w/ pureed and slice persimmon, chestnut puree, & dehydrated prosciutto
    9. Cubes of pickled, seared beef tongue w/ fermented soybeans (natto) & home-made fig kimchi in a lychee-green tea broth
    10. Seared duck breast over Brussel sprout leaves & confit duck leg w/ pumpkin paste, duck cracklins, shaved black truffle, & a dusting of semi-sweet cocoa
    11. Semi-scrambled taleggio custard w/ 1 black truffle slice and a brulleed sugar crust
    12. Parsnip-Vanilla custard w/ dehydrated parsnip slices & candied sweetbreads
    13. Lime tuile filled w/ root beer granite & topped with green curry gelato

    Just remember your Schwa etiquette: If you make a reservation, show up; and if you show up bring some beer for the kitchen, 'cause it's cool of you.

    Good for: Romance, food, service

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