Biography of Charlie Trotter

Charlie Trotter’s is regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world. For nearly 19 years, the restaurant has dedicated itself to excellence in the culinary arts. Not willing to ride on its laurels, Charlie Trotter’s is continuously forging new directions 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. In 1995 Charlie Trotter's was inducted into the esteemed Relais & Chateaux and in 1998 was accepted as a member by Traditions & Qualité. It has also received Five Stars from the Mobil Travel Guide (one of only two Five Star restaurants in Chicago), Five Diamonds by AAA and seven James Beard Foundation awards, including ‘Outstanding Restaurant’ (2000) and ‘Outstanding Chef’ (1999). Wine Spectator named the restaurant ‘The Best Restaurant in the World for Wine & Food’ (1998) and ‘America’s Best Restaurant’ (2000). Chef Trotter is the author of 12 cookbooks, two management books, and is the host of the nationally aired, award winning PBS cooking series, The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter.

In 2000, Chef Trotter opened Trotter’s To Go, a take-out gourmet retail shop in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. He also produces a line of organic gourmet products under the Charlie Trotter brand name. Chef Trotter has begun to expand his culinary offerings with the addition of a new restaurant: “C” a fine-dining seafood focused restaurant at One&Only Palmilla (Los Cabos, Mexico) which opened in February 2004. He has also begun to expand his gourmet to go concept via offering a Trotter’s To Go Express in association with Equinox.

Beyond his numerous culinary accolades, Chef Trotter is very involved in philanthropic activities, which include a vast number of national and international charities. Most close to his heart is the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation. Since its inception in 1999, Chef Trotter hosts weekly dinners for High School students, as well as underwriting annual fund raising dinners for the foundation. To date the foundation has raised over $500,000 to award to individuals seeking careers in the culinary arts.

Chef Trotter recently received an award at the White House from both President Bush and Colin Powell for his work with the Foundation and was named one of only five ‘heroes’ to be honored by Colin Powell’s charity, Americas Promise. In 2005, Chef Trotter was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for his overall service to the community.