This venture lasted two years and closed in March 2010. The restaurant received the Michelin Guide One Star award in 2009 and included a private bar known as Bar Charlie that allowed diners to overlook the kitchen preparation. In 2008, Trotter opened his second namesake restaurant in Las Vegas known as Restaurant Charlie. This restaurant closed four years later in 2008 despite good reviews. He ventured into the luxury spa market with a restaurant called, C, in the One&Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico in 2004. Fullerton, also in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago in 2000. Trotter’s reputation of excellence contributed to his rise as a celebrity chef and his other culinary ventures.Īs a restaurateur, Trotter opened Trotter’s To Go, a high-end delicatessen and catering store at 1337 W. An astonishing number of nationally acclaimed chefs who began their careers working for him, however, credit that experience as foundational to their later success. Trotter’s culinary vision rested on merging the four elements of food, wine, service and hospitality into a totality that he referred to as “excellence.” He would win the Outstanding Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation in 1999 and later claim eight additional Beard Awards, including “Best Restaurant.” This vision was not without demands and Trotter has been characterized as a taskmaster and perfectionist. In 2002, he took foie gras off the menu due to ethical concerns over the production of the dish. In 1995, he had his walk-in cooler removed during a $750,000 kitchen renovation because his reliance on fresh ingredients negated the need. Instead, he and his highly rated sommeliers built a wine selection that held more than 1,300 selections designed to pair with the food. In 1990, he decided to stop serving distilled spirits that could dull the palate. By 1989, he added a dining table in the kitchen along with innovative tasting menus, including one for vegetables. His business grew faster than anticipated and he would continue to redefine the dining experience. Trotter initially thought he would offer superior dining at reasonable prices, but within months, the Chicago Tribune sent over a three-star review. He would later expand the 66-seat brownstone with the acquisition of an identical structure next door. In August 1987, a 27-year-old Trotter, with funding from his father and help from his family, opened his $1.5-million restaurant, Charlie Trotter's, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. He would be among the first to apply French techniques with American ingredients and bring Asian flavors into the mix. These lessons contributed to Trotter’s innovative cuisine. During his European trip he met Chef Frédy Girardet who he considered a philosophical mentor and discovered Fernand Point, whose book, Ma Gastronomie, ranks high on his list of important culinary books. He briefly attended the California Culinary Academy, but spent most of his time between 19 working at approximately 40 restaurants before embarking on a trip to Europe to eat and learn in 1985. Trotter considered himself a self-taught chef. It was only after earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982 that he began his pursuit of cooking in earnest. When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is:Ĭharlie Trotter Cookbook Collection, Special Collections,ĭebra Orellana and Michelle McCoy, November 2018Ĭharles Hugh Trotter (1959-2013) was born on Septemto Dona-Lee and Robert Trotter and grew up in Chicago’s northern suburb of Wilmette. Researchers, please request this material 24 hours in advance of use. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605ĭonated to the Chicago Public Library by Mrs. Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center,

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