Chef
Trotter did not come from a "food focused" family. His interest in
food was developed while he was in college and his roommate, Joel Fish (who was
an avid cook) would prepare various courses for his friends to taste.
Trotter became interested in what Joel was doing, and soon found himself immersed in the world of cookbooks and preparing meals as a way of entertainment for his friends and roommates!
Trotter became interested in what Joel was doing, and soon found himself immersed in the world of cookbooks and preparing meals as a way of entertainment for his friends and roommates!
Mid
way through his college tenure (University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI) he
decided to take a year off and read every book he could. This included
cookbooks. As a way to make a living while on this break from school, Trotter
took a job as a waiter. Upon return to college, where he earned his Bachelor's
of Science degree in Political Science, he began once again cooking and
actually doing small catering parties.
After
graduating from college Trotter traveled around the U.S. and Europe to dine at
only the finest restaurants. He wanted to learn how the "best" gained
that title, and see what the future could possibly hold for him.
He
returned to the States and began doing catering parties (tasting menu format)
for friends of his family. This was his way to "test the waters" on
his culinary skills and his focus on the caliber of service and wine emphasis
he desired. After doing this successfully for just over a year, he decided to
open Charlie Trotter's --with his now deceased father, Bob Trotter, as his
partner.
The
figure who most impressed Trotter during his culinary development was Fernand
Point (of the famed Ma Gastronomie). Trotter was impressed most by Point's sense
of generosity...and to this day it is something which resonates within
Trotter's own highly philanthropic nature.
Trotter
never went to culinary school, and is completely self taught. His first cooking
job was at a restaurant in the North Shore area of Chicago called Sinclair's
(of the famous Gordon Sinclair). He was a cook there and worked under many now
well-known chefs including Norman Van Aken and Carrie Nahabedian.
Chef
Trotter has always had a strong philanthropic sense and his establishment of
the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education foundation (which supplies scholarships
to those entering culinary programs) as well as the Excellence Program (which
allows high school students to come in and experience the cuisine of the
restaurant, all the while hearing from various staff members about how they
pursue excellence on a daily basis) are two closest to his heart.
Charlie
Trotter's is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world. For nearly
25 years, the restaurant has dedicated itself to excellence in the culinary
arts. Charlie Trotter's Restaurant is innovative and progressive in the world
of food and wine and has been instrumental in establishing new standards for
fine dining worldwide.
The
restaurant is recognized by a variety of prestigious national and international
institutions. Among those include its being a member of Traditions et Qualité .
This Forbes Five Star award winning restaurant has won 11 James Beard
Foundation awards, including 'Outstanding Restaurant' (2000) and 'Outstanding
Chef' (1999) and most recently Chef Trotter won 'Humanitarian of The Year"
(2012). Wine Spectator named the restaurant 'The Best Restaurant in the World
for Wine & Food' (1998) and 'America's Best Restaurant' (2000). Wine
Enthusiast named it ‘America’s Best Wine Driven Restaurant’ (2006) and it has
been voted one of the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ by Restaurant Magazine
since 2004. Chef Trotter is the author of 14 cookbooks, three management books,
and is the host of the nationally aired, award winning PBS cooking series, The
Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter.
(source courtesy :charlietrotter.com)
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