As of yesterday, Schwa is closed. After the sleeper hit burst onto the Chicago restaurant scene two years ago, chef-owner Michael Carlson (at left) quickly earned a rep as one of the brightest culinary talents in the country, earning a place on Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs list less than a year into Schwa’s existence.

Per Carlson’s wishes, we won’t divulge at this time the reasons behind the closing, but will relay that he is determined to return to Chicago’s dining scene after dealing with personal issues. The timing is ironic considering the success of Friday night’s close-down dinner for the chefs in town for Trotter’s anniversary, but I can’t imagine a better way to end things than wowing some of the biggest names in the biz with your last night of service. Here’s hoping for a quick return, and thanks for food worth getting excited about.