Charlie Trotter Takes a Break

Catch a meal at his eponymous restaurant before it closes, if you can.

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You’ve got limited time for a legendary meal. In August 2012, Charlie Trotter will close his revered Chicago restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s, for good. It’s a solemn thought for those lucky enough to have dined there and especially for those who hoped to some day. The good news: Trotter hints that, after he travels the world and pursues a master’s degree in philosophy and political theory, he may open another restaurant.

Charlie Trotter

Trotter’s culinary education came after college. The Chicago native, who is completely self-taught, traveled around the U.S. and Europe after graduating, seeking out high-end restaurant experiences. It was that exploration that illuminated for him what the “best” really meant in food. Returning to Chicago, he spent a year working at Sinclair’s in the North Shore neighborhood, where he studied under such revered chefs as Norman Van Aken and Carrie Nahabedian. He then struck out on his own. The backdrop for his culinary dream was a townhouse in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, which he converted and opened with his now late father Bob in 1987. The rest is culinary history.

He succeeded in introducing Americans to his love of the European-style degustation menu and demonstrated how a well-curated wine cellar and consummate wine service could take fine dining to a new level. He brought in the highest-quality food from local farmers and artisans, showcased on America’s first degustation menu, the first vegetarian tasting menu, and the first raw-food tasting menu, and was among the first to put a now-coveted table in the kitchen for lucky diners. He went on to win 10 James Beard awards, earned five stars from Forbes, four stars from the Chicago Tribune and a bevy of other accolades. His 14 cookbooks and award-winning PBS series, “The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter,” have helped establish his name around the world.

Trotter went on to create the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation, which supplies scholarships to people entering culinary programs and has raised $3 million since 1999. The James Beard Foundation announced this month that it will be presenting Trotter with the 2012 Humanitarian of the Year Award at the ceremony this May.

Taste first-hand why he’s known as one of the greatest American chefs: Charlie Trotter’s will continue dinner service Wednesday through Saturday until August.—Denise Shoukas

Photos courtesy of Kipling Swehla