Schwa to Re-Open

We'd been hearing rumors recently that Schwa was going to reopen, but didn't want to get our hopes up to much before something was confirmed. And confirmed it now is. Michael Carlson's BYOB spot will be reopening in early 2008, the end of this month being the earliest.

Carlson told Metromix that he's been fixing up the space in anticipation of it's reopening, including upgrading the floors and possibly installing new lighting. We suppose the news shouldn't be a huge surprise; after all, Carlson said when he closed up shop that he was simply taking some time off to spend time with his new daughter and to recharge. We've seen too many restaurants take time off, only to never come back, so we couldn't be happier for Carlson, Wicker Park, and Chicago's culinary scene that the restaurant will be reopening.

In its first opening stint the BYOB restaurant was regarded as one of the city's best places to sample incredibly innovative—yet still fantastically delicious—food, without getting gouged on wine or cocktails.

Image of a delicious Schwa quail egg ravioli taken at last year's Food and Wine showcase by Caroline Clough.