Schwa Makes A Dubious List

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jul 13, 2009 1:50PM

Dessert: Candied sweetbreads, parsnip panna cotta (Rachelle Bowden)

Those of us who've done the "make a reservation at Schwa" dance already know this scenario: you dial the number and are greeted with a stock message saying they're booking through a certain month and to leave a request after the beep, then you wait and wonder if they checked the message (or if you dialed wrong), then they — most likely Michael Carlson himself — calls to confirm your reservation. "We'll see you cats Thursday," is a favorite. The reservations are coveted even more, since Schwa only seats 26, is closed Sunday and Monday and that long-awaited reservation confirmation can sometimes take weeks.

New York magazine also noticed. Today, their Grub Street blog listed Schwa on its list of the hardest restaurant reservations to snare in the country. Schwa's in select company here; foodie meccas French Laundry and Momofuku Ko also made the list. One can assume that this list will only make a booking at Schwa even more desirable.