Ode to a legend! Chef Charlie Trotter!

Who is your favorite chef of all time? If you don't have one that's fine, maybe you could tell me what your favorite restaurant is? Here is my ode to my favorite chef and restaurant of all time! If you have not heard the legendary chef and restaurateur passed away suddenly at his home earlier today at the young age of 54! I'll miss you Charlie Trotter! I was served my finest meal on my birthday in 2006! I had long waited to eat at this famous eatery for near 20 years. I had first heard of him in 1987 while working downtown. This is when I was first really getting into fine dining restaurants and all the great things that could be done with food! I would travel the Redline train daily throughout the week reading both the Chicago Tribune, Sun Times, and on Thursdays picking up the latest edition of The Reader. I always would peruse all the restaurant reviews by all three papers and learn of all the great eateries in our city. I remember reading of this young whipper snapper chef only 28 years old making headlines quickly and rising to the top of his craft. He would earn his way to a James Beard award as top chef and earn top rankings in all the food publications. I always knew that I was going to eat at this restaurant at some point even though you needed to make reservations months in advance. Let alone the cost was for those making CEO salary's, which I was not quite at in my life! Well low and behold my kind friends whom I am always so grateful to have in my life came through once again! This time they gave my wife Cheryl a present for earning her PhD...a gift certificate to Charlie Trotter's restaurant. Dr. Cheryl being the great wife she is and knowing my adoration for this chef was able to take me their for my 43rd birthday on a Saturday night, October 27, 2006! I had eaten from his take out store located on the 1300 block of Fullerton a few times, but now I was going to the palace.....the place I had dreamt about many nights located just west of Halsted on Armitage! I had driven and walked by this restaurant so many times and now I was walking through Charlie Trotter's restaurant's door! We went and Cheryl had another surprise our niece Lauren who teaches at Lane Tech and was coaching their girls soccer team had a connection at the restaurant....it turned out one of her players father worked for Charlie and would end up giving us a tour of the restaurant after our dinner and bringing us back to the kitchen and down to the wine cellar! Amazing night! We did wine pairings picked out by our waiter to accompany each of our courses!

It started with an unbelievable appetizer bite which they call Amuse Gueule. Followed up by the first course of Poached Skate Wing with Red Curry, Twenty Four Hour Braised Fennel, Razor Clams & Herb Oil...next up Alaskan Halibut with Sweet & Sour duck Gizzards, Crosnes, Battera Kombu & Watermelon Radish....the hits kept on coming my mind was in ectasy food overload as it was living up to everything I was hoping for! Next course was Roasted Quail Breast with Crispy Hominy, Huitlacoche, Zucchini, Rosemary & Red Wine Essence and we were only half way home now! This was followed up by South Dakota Bison Tenderloin with Quinoa, Black Cardamom Mole & Ash Baked Eggplant. We were then brought Oloroso Sherry Sorbet with Dates & Mustard Greens. Still more coming which was Honey Crisp Apple with Toasted Caraway, Maytag Bleu Cheese & Cider Gelee! Lastly some Mignardises which is finger food desserts! Yum-yum!

How do I remember this great meal, because my wife had Charlie Trotter sign the menu that she then had framed and we keep in our kitchen (see picture below)! I'll miss you Charlie and I'll always have my memories of your creations! I still have your cookbooks and will try to recreate the magic from all the recipes you created!!!!!