For years, the only way in was calling the restaurant's own phone and hoping Carlson himself picked up; one critic recalled the line going unanswered so often that getting a reservation came down to pure luck, and the restaurant was reportedly booked out for seven straight years at one point. In October 2007, the night after hosting the world's top chefs for Charlie Trotter's 20th anniversary dinner, Carlson closed Schwa for a four-month hiatus, worn down by the pressure of running it.
Two decades later it's still operating, still BYOB, still chef-staffed, still refusing to behave like a conventional tasting menu. Closed Sunday through Tuesday.
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