If you aren’t interested in gastronomy, you probably haven’t heard of Charlie Trotter. If you are, you know that Trotter exploded onto the dining scene 25 years ago. His Chicago restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s, soon became one of the top – many said the top – dining destinations in America, known for groundbreaking cuisine as well as Chef Trotter’s driven, obsessive personality. And if you’re a chef or other food professional who’s had any association with Trotter, you’re sure to have opinions about him ranging anywhere from love to loathing.
Almost entirely self-taught, Trotter was just 27 when he opened his eponymous restaurant. After finishing a political science degree, Trotter traveled throughout Europe, dining only in fine restaurants. Returning to Chicago, he worked in a now-defunct restaurant for just a year before opening Charlie Trotter’s.
Then there was the foie gras flap. In 2002 Trotter quit serving foie gras for humanitarian reasons and was influential in the Chicago City Council briefly banning it in 2006. But the city’s move – and Trotter’s role in it – was controversial. “I’ll listen to what he says about bird care when I hear he’s nicer to his line cooks,” said radio food commentator Clark Wolf. And Trotter was less than humane in published comments about chefs who disagreed with him, especially the slightly hefty Rick Tramonto whose restaurant, Tru, was ranked as highly as Trotter’s: “Tramonto’s not the smartest guy on the block….We ought to have Rick’s liver for a little treat. It’s certainly fat enough.”
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