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Schwa: I Was There When

Schwa: I Was There When
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  • Post #661 - March 17th, 2011, 7:21 pm
    Post #661 - March 17th, 2011, 7:21 pm Post #661 - March 17th, 2011, 7:21 pm
    mhill95149 wrote:
    boudreaulicious wrote:
    jeanpoutine wrote:I dont know what is up with the plumbing at Schwa, but I have been cancelled on three times, twice for plumbing problems (a week apart, over a year ago...). To their credit, they have always rebooked me at my earliest convenience.


    perhaps "plumbing" is a euphemism for "bumping"...


    I just noticed that someone is tweeting their dining experience at Schwa this evening so it must have been "plumbing problems"
    for your reservation only...

    I guess "The dog eat my homework" worked for these guys back int he day...

    Schwa operates on the thinest of margins...if one of their guys is sick they probably have to cancel several reservations. "Plumbing problems" may just mean one of the sous has a nasty GI bug.
  • Post #662 - March 17th, 2011, 7:24 pm
    Post #662 - March 17th, 2011, 7:24 pm Post #662 - March 17th, 2011, 7:24 pm
    Patton Oswalt is there as we speak.

    Patton Oswalt - "Schwa just started playing "Looking Down the Barrel of A Gun" while I eat violet-infused roe. MY LIFE ROCKS."
    12 minutes ago
    GOOD TIMES!
  • Post #663 - March 17th, 2011, 7:57 pm
    Post #663 - March 17th, 2011, 7:57 pm Post #663 - March 17th, 2011, 7:57 pm
    boudreaulicious wrote:
    jeanpoutine wrote:I dont know what is up with the plumbing at Schwa, but I have been cancelled on three times, twice for plumbing problems (a week apart, over a year ago...). To their credit, they have always rebooked me at my earliest convenience.


    perhaps "plumbing" is a euphemism for "bumping"...

    I'm a huge Schwa fan and this just bums me out. Seems like they're doing this kind of bumping pretty often lately, and telling the same lie about the plumbing to whomever they think is that night's biggest rube. A place I really like in Minneapolis refused to do this and earned my unending respect: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/blogs/115022664.html
  • Post #664 - March 17th, 2011, 8:55 pm
    Post #664 - March 17th, 2011, 8:55 pm Post #664 - March 17th, 2011, 8:55 pm
    I agree with kl1191 that something like this may be a strong possibility. Although it sounds suspicious honoring a celebrity reservation while canceling another I would be hesitate to speculate myself. I say this because biz3 also retweeted one of those by Oswalt. I find it hard to believe if there was something less then honest happening they would have drawn attention to it.
  • Post #665 - March 17th, 2011, 9:56 pm
    Post #665 - March 17th, 2011, 9:56 pm Post #665 - March 17th, 2011, 9:56 pm
    Not a big deal for me. I went to RIA tonight which was amazing and tomorrow I go to Schwa. Not a bad week of dining at any rate.
  • Post #666 - March 18th, 2011, 3:08 am
    Post #666 - March 18th, 2011, 3:08 am Post #666 - March 18th, 2011, 3:08 am
    Also, I should have mentioned, when we went after the cancellations, they gave us a healthy discount both times. For me this meant a lot, and was definitely worth the inconvenience.

    Glad you enjoyed Ria, its pretty fantastic! We are certainly spoiled here...
  • Post #667 - March 18th, 2011, 2:26 pm
    Post #667 - March 18th, 2011, 2:26 pm Post #667 - March 18th, 2011, 2:26 pm
    Reading the plumbing/bumping issue really disheartens me. I have been blessed by some of the best meals of my life at this gem and they are certainly gracious hosts, but the consistency of their closings with the possibility that they are not honoring their reservations for reasons given, turns my stomach.

    In the past, I did not write about these incidents because when they tell me their 1) heating is not working --- 2) the fryer drain is clogged --- 3) the air conditioning is broken --- I believe them and know that they are working with limited resources. The possibility that I have been lied to, sucks.

    Yes, they are gracious in their flexible scheduling…In the past, I have been rescheduled and when we finally enjoyed a wonderful meal, the bill was significantly discounted, but what sort of person would pay basically nothing for people who work very hard. Needless to say full payment plus a standard tip was left.

    The last time we expected to have a great meal….after calling weekly for months to schedule a reservation and showing up at the locked door to a kind, personal note stating the heat is not working was more than unfortunate. This was the third time for THIS ONE reservation they had rescheduled us. NOTE: It is the first time they failed contact us before we arrived. NOTE2: They did call my work number twice on the Saturday THREE hours before our reservation, but I’m not at work on Saturday and three hours, really? NOTE3: I am not certain why they did not call my mobile that has been left on their VM countless times.

    Yes, they called me to reschedule, but after three reschedules for ONE RESERVATION, my sister (who lives in Schaumburg and was over five months pregnant at the time) was no longer willing to play cat and mouse with Schwa.

    I do hope this “bumping” is not true. It is Carlson’s restaurant and he can serve whoever he likes , whenever he likes, but I used to feel just a little bit that this was my restaurant too. Is that silly or just sad…?
  • Post #668 - March 18th, 2011, 2:46 pm
    Post #668 - March 18th, 2011, 2:46 pm Post #668 - March 18th, 2011, 2:46 pm
    Obviously if you showed up and the door was locked, you weren't bumped. Is it possible they weren't giving you the whole truth when you've been rescheduled previously? Yes, in fact it's likely. Would you rather hear that the heat is broken or that one of the staff has disappeared on a bender? They do their best with limited resources.

    So, it sounds like they could have inconvenienced Patton Oswalt instead of dradeli...besides being a terrible business move, it's more than likely that dradeli's schedule is a bit more flexible than Oswalt's. Sad as it may be, when a VIP dines out they are probably going to get fawned over. If you were in dradeli's position, would you rather dine in the same room and potentially receive lesser service or be rescheduled? In a better world, it wouldn't matter if a VIP was present, but assessing the situation pragmatically, it clearly does. Oswalt is food crazy and Carlson surely knows that. This wasn't Adria and Trotter, but surely he can't fully book the place last night if he's going to be paying extra attention to one of the tables, there's no margin for that kind of thing at Schwa.
  • Post #669 - March 18th, 2011, 2:58 pm
    Post #669 - March 18th, 2011, 2:58 pm Post #669 - March 18th, 2011, 2:58 pm
    Hamcha's post hit home with me. I've eaten at Schwa twice, the second time when there was a 'VIP' (Carlson's word in hushed tones to a table adjacent to ours) in the room. My husband and I were made to feel like an afterthought that night at best. Dishes were hurriedly dropped without explanation (I had the benefit of at least the brief description on the menu, but my husband is a vegetarian and had no idea what he was eating much of the night), our questions were met with brusqueness, and overall we felt like an obstacle standing between the staff and the luminary a few tables over.

    I realize now maybe we were lucky even to get a table that night. Still, I haven't felt so rotten since getting chosen last in junior-high gym class.

    I'm not sure why when this kind of thing happens at a taqueria or burger place, it's like water off a duck's back. But when it happens at Schwa, it's like a punch to the gut -- like being spurned by a new boyfriend or not invited to the popular girls' slumber party. Not to sound like a wimp, but it hurts the heart a little.

    Needless to say, we haven't been back. I want very much to believe these are innocent mistakes and not some kind of back-of-house pecking order come to life. But it's tough to ignore what seems to be a trend. It's tough not to read between the lines.
  • Post #670 - March 18th, 2011, 3:57 pm
    Post #670 - March 18th, 2011, 3:57 pm Post #670 - March 18th, 2011, 3:57 pm
    I find it amazing that there are so many apologists on this board for behavior that is clearly unexcusable, just because it's Schwa. A ridiculous reservation "system", being canceled a couple of hours before your reservation, lies about the reason for the reschedule, it's crazy. Why do you folks put up with that when you're the customer? Schwa's food is excellent, but it's not a life altering experience for pete's sake. Places that act like this should not be patronized. They can then either improve their customer service or die. It's that simple.
  • Post #671 - March 18th, 2011, 5:20 pm
    Post #671 - March 18th, 2011, 5:20 pm Post #671 - March 18th, 2011, 5:20 pm
    Deleted by author.
    Last edited by riddlemay on March 19th, 2011, 7:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #672 - March 18th, 2011, 5:42 pm
    Post #672 - March 18th, 2011, 5:42 pm Post #672 - March 18th, 2011, 5:42 pm
    John Danza wrote:They can then either improve their customer service, thrive and earn a Michelin star despite lacking your support or die. It's that simple.


    Fixed that for you. There's no point in derailing the thread again; you either get it or you don't.
  • Post #673 - March 18th, 2011, 5:45 pm
    Post #673 - March 18th, 2011, 5:45 pm Post #673 - March 18th, 2011, 5:45 pm
    kl1191 wrote:
    John Danza wrote:They can then either improve their customer service, thrive and earn a Michelin star despite lacking your support or die. It's that simple.


    Fixed that for you. There's no point in derailing the thread again; you either get it or you don't.


    Who's derailing the thread? I'm responding to the last few posts that have been nothing about the food but have been about Schwa's poor customer service. If you prefer, I'll start a thread "Schwa - why no one should go there".
  • Post #674 - March 18th, 2011, 5:54 pm
    Post #674 - March 18th, 2011, 5:54 pm Post #674 - March 18th, 2011, 5:54 pm
    I'm about as big a Schwa fan as there is, but this practice sucks. Obviously restaurants will go out of their way to accommodate VIPs. Unfortunately the way Schwa is set up, it leads to the "regular folk" getting disproportionately screwed. You can "get" Schwa and still have issues with this situation.
    -Josh

    I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat
  • Post #675 - March 18th, 2011, 6:17 pm
    Post #675 - March 18th, 2011, 6:17 pm Post #675 - March 18th, 2011, 6:17 pm
    jesteinf wrote:I'm about as big a Schwa fan as there is, but this practice sucks. Obviously restaurants will go out of their way to accommodate VIPs. Unfortunately the way Schwa is set up, it leads to the "regular folk" getting disproportionately screwed. You can "get" Schwa and still have issues with this situation.


    Oh, I don't know about that...I think at Schwa you're just more likely to know when you're getting "screwed". I don't think people should judge their meal based on the treatment others are receiving, which is sadly often what you hear about in these situations. It's sad if someone received actual substandard service because a VIP was dining, but I think an attempt to avoid that may be the impetus for some of the rescheduling that occurs. Consider ChristyP who said "I realize now maybe we were lucky even to get a table that night." I would say she's wrong about that if the service was as bad as she says. It would have been far better had they rescheduled her at her convenience.

    John Danza wrote:Who's derailing the thread? I'm responding to the last few posts that have been nothing about the food but have been about Schwa's poor customer service. If you prefer, I'll start a thread "Schwa - why no one should go there".


    I wasn't trying to single you out, but the reservation system has been rehashed many times. That a reservation was apparently rescheduled directly as a result of a VIP dining the same night hasn't come up before, and so I think it is a perfectly valid topic for discussion here.
  • Post #676 - March 18th, 2011, 7:02 pm
    Post #676 - March 18th, 2011, 7:02 pm Post #676 - March 18th, 2011, 7:02 pm
    Certainly not an excuse but the question should be asked. Say for instance the customer is not the least bit familiar with the way Schwa operates. They then get a call stating their reservation is canceled and given the truthful reason. (That's assuming broken pipes are untrue) Would the average diner be understanding or would they be outraged? "What do you mean one of your cooks hit a brick wall after a 90 hour week" This never happens at Alinea, French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park etc.etc. I may be wrong but I honestly can foresee such a reaction from diners. I'm not condoning dishonestly but I can see how the broken pipe may be the road with least resistance.

    I'm not convinced even those who been to Schwa multiple times would be so understanding. Most diners can care less how their food got from point A to point B. Its just not something most restaurant customers pay attention too. As long as the food and service is good that is the main focus. I believe if Michael Carlson and crew were serving breakfast it would be no easy task, never mind such a extensive complicated menu. How they execute such a menu nightly is truly amazing. Which is why those in the industry have the utmost respect for Michael Carlson but in no way wish to duplicate his concept.

    For me Schwa is unique and special enough to ignore the occasional hiccups. Plus the Internet is full of examples of Chef Carlson's generosity which more then makes up for it in my opinion.
  • Post #677 - March 18th, 2011, 7:08 pm
    Post #677 - March 18th, 2011, 7:08 pm Post #677 - March 18th, 2011, 7:08 pm
    I really like Schwa. In fact, I just mentioned to Ronna last weekend that it's been too long since we've been there and I'm curious to see what Carlson and his crew are up to. If it weren't such a BS PITA to get a table, I'd have found a few friends who want to join us and already made a reservation.

    That said, lying about various mechanical or plumbing problems to make room for VIPs (a conclusion that is still pure conjecture) strikes me as evincing an unfortunate lack of integrity. Be honest and show some character. Either honor my reservation or have the balls to tell me that you need my table for a VIP. Say that you are sorry and that you have a tiny dining room and that you hope I'll understand. Then, tell me that you'll make it up to me. Perhaps some folks would be outraged, but I'd bet that it would do less damage over time than lying to your customers.

    But I can't say I'd be surprised if it turns out that Schwa is taking the easy way out and just making shit up. Carlson has always seemed pretty childish about business in general, and generally uninterested in the concept of customer service. Maybe he's just that good and can continue to survive doing it his way. I guess we'll see.

    --Rich
    I don't know what you think about dinner, but there must be a relation between the breakfast and the happiness. --Cemal Süreyya
  • Post #678 - March 18th, 2011, 8:24 pm
    Post #678 - March 18th, 2011, 8:24 pm Post #678 - March 18th, 2011, 8:24 pm
    What would a religion be without a few willing martyrs.
  • Post #679 - March 18th, 2011, 9:26 pm
    Post #679 - March 18th, 2011, 9:26 pm Post #679 - March 18th, 2011, 9:26 pm
    T Comp wrote:What would a religion be without a few willing martyrs.


    You're comparing being asked to reschedule your dinner to execution. Remind me, who's the zealot?
  • Post #680 - March 18th, 2011, 9:56 pm
    Post #680 - March 18th, 2011, 9:56 pm Post #680 - March 18th, 2011, 9:56 pm
    Please, folks, let's try to keep the discussion on-track.

    Thanks,

    =R=
    for the moderators
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #681 - March 18th, 2011, 10:31 pm
    Post #681 - March 18th, 2011, 10:31 pm Post #681 - March 18th, 2011, 10:31 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Please, folks, let's try to keep the discussion on-track.

    Thanks,

    =R=
    for the moderators

    I guess I'm wondering what's meant here by on-track and off-track.

    If by off-track, you mean arguments about who's the zealot and who's the martyr, I can totally agree with that.

    But if by off-track, you mean descriptions of experiences with the reservations system, I can't agree. Ten people reporting their experiences with the reservations system is no more repetitive (and no less relevant) than ten people reporting their experiences with the brown butter ravioli.
  • Post #682 - March 18th, 2011, 10:49 pm
    Post #682 - March 18th, 2011, 10:49 pm Post #682 - March 18th, 2011, 10:49 pm
    riddlemay wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Please, folks, let's try to keep the discussion on-track.

    Thanks,

    =R=
    for the moderators

    I guess I'm wondering what's meant here by on-track and off-track.

    If by off-track, you mean arguments about who's the zealot and who's the martyr, I can totally agree with that.

    But if by off-track, you mean descriptions of experiences with the reservations system, I can't agree. Ten people reporting their experiences with the reservations system is no more repetitive (and no less relevant) than ten people reporting their experiences with the brown butter ravioli.

    I thought it was obvious but since it wasn't, posting about myriad aspects of the restaurant is fine.

    For anyone who needs further clarification, please re-familiarize yourself with our Posting Guidelines.

    Thanks again,

    =R=
    for the moderators
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #683 - March 19th, 2011, 7:20 am
    Post #683 - March 19th, 2011, 7:20 am Post #683 - March 19th, 2011, 7:20 am
    I have eaten at Schwa a number of times since it opened and have had a chance to talk to chef Michael briefly. He has mentioned the problems he has had with the plumbing system and the phone system. The building is quite old and has people living in apartments above his restaurant. They sometimes throw things down the toilet which backs up the whole plumbing system including his restaurant. There have been times when the tenants have forgotten about filling the bath tub or the kitchen sink and have over run and ended up pouring water into his dining area or the kitchen.

    I do not think he would break a reservation with anyone to allow someone else he knows to eat there. He wants everyone to feel like they are eating in his home. He wants us to relax and enjoy his food.

    There are things about his restaurant that I would like to see changed - the phone/reservation system - but I am content to know that he tries his best. Remember that he is a one man show that puts his cooking above every thing else. So, before we crucify him based upon rumors we should give him the benefit of the doubt. I truly am surprised how mean spirited this train of thought is becoming. Why don't we just enjoy his culinary art?

    I for one think his food is some of the best this city has to offer. I know that if you are the last table of the night (which I have been) he will sit down and visit with you. Why don't you try it sometime?

    **MY APOLOGIES TO ALL WHO HAVE READ THIS POST. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED TO " SCHWA: I WAS THERE WHEN"
    Last edited by s943 on March 19th, 2011, 10:12 am, edited 3 times in total.
  • Post #684 - March 19th, 2011, 7:39 am
    Post #684 - March 19th, 2011, 7:39 am Post #684 - March 19th, 2011, 7:39 am
    This could quite possibly be the strangest post ever.
  • Post #685 - March 19th, 2011, 10:17 am
    Post #685 - March 19th, 2011, 10:17 am Post #685 - March 19th, 2011, 10:17 am
    rmtraut wrote:This could quite possibly be the strangest post ever.


    Almost as strange as someone making harassing phone calls to area restaurants, claiming to be Urban Belly chef-ower Bill Kim, yet calling from Schwa's phone number.
  • Post #686 - March 19th, 2011, 5:37 pm
    Post #686 - March 19th, 2011, 5:37 pm Post #686 - March 19th, 2011, 5:37 pm
    They canceled me again last night. I got a call at 3:30pm stating that they were tearing up the floors and replacing the pipes. They said that they were closed Thursday night (the night oswalt was tweating about his meal) and would be closed again last night. They promised they would make it up to me and rescheduled me for April.

    Funny thing is that I received two phone call from Schwa at 1am the night before which woke me up. I called several times during the day to see why they called me. I thought maybe they were reading this forum. At 2pm the person who answered the phone said that someone must have accidentally redialed my number when using the phone for business, he apologized. I asked if everything was still on for my reservation that evening and they told me everything was fine.

    Went to Geatanos and had an amazing dinner don't know why that restaurant didn't make the Michelin guide.
  • Post #687 - March 19th, 2011, 7:19 pm
    Post #687 - March 19th, 2011, 7:19 pm Post #687 - March 19th, 2011, 7:19 pm
    dradeli wrote:They canceled me again last night. I got a call at 3:30pm stating that they were tearing up the floors and replacing the pipes. They said that they were closed Thursday night (the night oswalt was tweating about his meal) and would be closed again last night. They promised they would make it up to me and rescheduled me for April.

    Funny thing is that I received two phone call from Schwa at 1am the night before which woke me up. I called several times during the day to see why they called me. I thought maybe they were reading this forum. At 2pm the person who answered the phone said that someone must have accidentally redialed my number when using the phone for business, he apologized. I asked if everything was still on for my reservation that evening and they told me everything was fine.

    Went to Geatanos and had an amazing dinner don't know why that restaurant didn't make the Michelin guide.


    You are handling this week like a good sport. Schwa, not so much. Although tweeting this thread to Patton would no doubt be entertaining (and I don't see him having any fault in the issue, of course), I'm not sure what civic, culinary, or personal good can come out of any redress offered by conventional channels. I'll be interested to hear if you take the April date and how that evening goes. I'll be at Gaetano's on Friday and will tell him how much a certain recent meal meant to a virtual friend mishandled by another house.
  • Post #688 - March 19th, 2011, 9:31 pm
    Post #688 - March 19th, 2011, 9:31 pm Post #688 - March 19th, 2011, 9:31 pm
    I know who dradeli is, but who's this guy Patton Oswalt? :mrgreen:
    Toast, as every breakfaster knows, isn't really about the quality of the bread or how it's sliced or even the toaster. For man cannot live by toast alone. It's all about the butter. -- Adam Gopnik
  • Post #689 - March 19th, 2011, 9:52 pm
    Post #689 - March 19th, 2011, 9:52 pm Post #689 - March 19th, 2011, 9:52 pm
    GAF wrote:who's this guy Patton Oswalt?


    Good question. I'd like to know myself and why did he get my table :evil:
  • Post #690 - March 20th, 2011, 7:06 am
    Post #690 - March 20th, 2011, 7:06 am Post #690 - March 20th, 2011, 7:06 am
    dradeli wrote:
    GAF wrote:who's this guy Patton Oswalt?


    Good question. I'd like to know myself and why did he get my table :evil:


    Best known as the voice of Remy from Ratatouille...at least he has a connection to food--of course it was as a rat who could cook but... :twisted:

    He was in town for the comic convention.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington

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