Schwa is fun. If you don't like rap, are not comfortable in intimate dining room, are not so available to creative fine dining probably not the place for you. The staff is not accommodating to utensil requests or any alternations to the presentation of dishes, they take it personally. If you are able to relax and allow them to create for you, you are very likely to have a wonderful meal and experience. They are not your typical restaurant and they don't care, that's the entire point.

All the way back in 2008, I read a GQ profile of Schwa chef/owner Michael Carlson. It detailed, in vivid fashion, how this tiny little punk fine dining restaurant was Chicago's toughest reservation, mostly because Carlson is an organizational mess who does everything himself. Sixteen years later, I got to finally visit the restaurant that has been the subject of many daydreams. It was not a perfect experience. But it still deserves a 5-star grade. That sounds contradictory, but the few things that bothered me in the moment have faded. What is clear is that Schwa is a singular restaurant that serves more memorable food than a variety of 2- and 3-star Michelin joints I've been to. And that makes it worthwhile, even with a few hiccups. So, fine: The dining room is ugly. I don't mind that it's a tiny box. But the black paint and oddball pattern on the walls does not match the creative-but-elegant, focused cooking in the kitchen. And the service: My gift of craft Irish whiskey to the kitchen barely got any acknowledgement. And while it was great for Chef Caleb to come out and have a shot (a different whiskey) with the dining room, the dinner wasn't exactly the jokey, convivial experience that I had read so much about. But the food: For $200, it was a beautiful progression with just one glaring miss. The menu lists 15 "courses," but several came out in pairs, reflecting a theme in ingredients and flavors (see the apple in the quail and foie "a la mode" dishes). Some might think it's tired, but I still LOVE the raviolo filled with truffle, egg yolk and butter -- a signature dish that Carlson derived from mentor Grant Achatz's (Trio, Alinea) "Black truffle explosion." The aerated "gumbo" foam with a delicate chip with fresh crab was immense. The one glaring miss: The strawberry pairing with wagyu (two tiny little bites of meat) and the "kataifi ramen." The intention was for the fried filaments of kataifi to hydrate in a hot broth, but the end result was a bite of stale (yet soggy) "noodles" in a lukewarm pool of liquid. A single bite of composed kataifi with a shot of broth on the side would've worked much, much better. I will admit that I felt a little hungry after the meal -- it's delicious, but not particularly filling compared to some fine-dining spots. That being said, this is a hugely ambitious menu made by some talented hands. tl;dr = Fine-dining restaurants come in two flavors: The ones you'll remember in two decades, and everything else. Schwa is rough around the edges but the memorable food shines and the unique environment is part of a fun story I'll be retelling for years.

Amazing dinner and I felt the vegetarian option was better than the regular. The service was some of the best I've had and even though I brought some wine, the chefs recommended what to drink with each course. Really well thought out execution and delivery of all the flavors of each course. Incredible food and well worth the price!

One of the most eclectic and delicious tastings I've ever experienced! This place was so unassuming - no dress code, dark with little decor, loud rap music playing - but the food is top-tier, right up there with Alinea and some of the best chef's tastings I've ever tried. The black truffle raviolo was one of the best dishes I've been had, and the foie gras dish with foie gras ice cream and apples was a perfect sweet and savory bite.

Food is meant to be enjoyed but food can also be an experience and I have never been anywhere that did this quite as well as Schwa. Every dish was both beautiful and delicious and you could see the intentionality behind every decision. I particularly loved both the wagyu and the quail which were probably the best meats I've ever had. As far the experience itself, I can acknowledge it's not for everyone but it was certainly for me. The music is loud but not overwhelming and I felt like they were playing one of my playlists. Really I just had a lot of fun dining here. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday experience and hopefully I can come back for another special occasion soon.

Easy to miss storefront in Wicker Park, but upon entrance you quickly realize why their reservations go quickly, as the minute you pass the threshold you're in the small dining room. The executive chef seats you and introduces himself and the staff, and then you're left to your table with a background of slightly louder music, to the effect of speaking loudly to your table mates and also being able to hear the table next to yours doing the same. The meal progresses well with timing. The food is innovative, technical, and overall tasty but gone is the ceremony, formality and high end service you may be expecting for fine dining. Rather, the chef and staff create a rapport with each dining table, introducing the dishes and even sending you off with a whiskey shot. My absolute favorite dishes of the night were the truffle raviolo and the sable fish course. The apple cider and donut were also a very unique, refreshing, and fun dessert. It's easy to see why this restaurant has thrived for over 20 years and survived the COVID pandemic. Although it may not be my favorite tasting menu ever, it was a fun evening with my sister and the food and ambiance definitely contributed.

I made reservations for a midweek dinner here. Upon entry you're face the kitchen, with no hostess stand for foyer. They ask for your first name and sit you down immediately. I will say this place is like no other Michelin star restaurant I've ever been to. No white table cloth here. They're actually black haha. They do blast the music but the music was great. They were bumping NY State of Mind by Nas and some Tech N9ne music. It made it difficult to hear the staff sometimes when they were describing the courses. You can definitely come in this place and be yourself. It's very casual and most importantly the entire staff was great. Very friendly and on point through our entire meal. It's also BYOB and they don't charge a corkage fee since it's includes in the service fee when you prepay. As for the food, it's a 14 course tasting menu with some dishes being served at the same time each counting as one of the courses. I'll describe some of the dishes but I don't want to spoil any special presentations to anyone. They start you off with "float" and served with "Uni." I'm not big on ginger, especially ginger beer but this paired together this was a delicious way to start your dinner. Raviolo-quail egg, truffle and ricotta. This one was delicious. A little salty but amazing flavor. Crab-a gumbo with hoja santa. A little bit of heat, but not too over powering. Sturgeon-perfecltly cooked, texture was great. Caviar-served on top of an apricot. This was one of my favorite dishes. I love apricot and caviar paired perfectly with it. It also had amazing texture. Foie-This was my favorite dish. It was served on top of a mole and very delicious. It was also served with "quail" and was pretty tasty well. Wagyu-served with matsutake, and battera. The wagyu was very tender and juicy. Perfectly cooked medium rare. Ramen-probably one of my least favorite of the night. The broth is made out of tea. Cheese-Ice cream made out of cheese, and served in a waffle cone Tea-banana kefir, amaro and chocolate served with "nilla," this was good. You dip the cookie just like you would with milk and cookies. And the last one was "fluff." My wife loved this one. It was too sweet for me. Cotton candy served with white chocolate and tonka at the bottom And then we took shots of whiskey at the very end of our meal with the staff. Overall I was really impressed with their service and the food presentation. So far every Michelin star restaurant has been a try once type of place. Schwa is the first one I've been to that I can definitely say I'm willing to return.