Charlie Trotter’s

‚Found this unpublished review. Was such a great experience I had to publish even though it’s closed.
Amazing; had the kitchen table for Valentines. It was the most perfect night. Loved to be able to people watch legally. Smoothly run kitchen; clean beyond clean. Quietly efficient. Food was beautifully presented; definitely a memorable, magical night. Thank you Chef Trotter and Chef Carlson. Chef Trotter was quite amusing to watch. Sad to see the restaurant close down after 25 amazing years. Way to go and enjoy your next journey. I am proud to say I’ve been to Charlie Trotters.

It is a real shame that Chef Trotter passed away. This restaurant was phenomenal. The upscale ambiance was the perfect match for the clientele that dined here and the quality of the dishes served. Both the presentation of the dishes and the way they pleased the palate left nothing to be desired. The wine selection was also fantastic. Furthermore, the staff that worked here were kind, expedient, and professional. This was the best establishment I ever had the privilege of dining at. It saddens me that I will never again have the opportunity to dine here under Chef Trotter’s guidance. However, I am glad to hear of his family’s recent announcement to maintain their ownership of this site and turn it into a non-​profit business focused on benefiting the culinary world.

Had the grand tasting menu and full wine paring.
This place is omg good! Whoever said that they’re more relaxed now that the end is near is totally lying! Perfect food and perfect service! Wishing him all the best!
Everyone from the hostess to the server to the sommelier and even the cooks are profession yet friendly! Pure perfection all around!
Thankyou for the experience of a lifetime! I cannot say enough good things about this established restaurant!

I was fortunate enough to come here before the restaurant closed its doors after 25 years in Chicago. The restaurant itself is very hard to miss, as there isn’t a huge sign or blazing lights or anything in the front — only a brownstone building with some beautiful ivy all around. Our courses included: Faroe Island Salmon with Roasted Salsify, Preserved Shallot, and Kumamoto Oyster; Big Eye Tuna with Green Tomato Juice, Kalamata Olives, and Avocado Sorbet; Citrus Streamed Line Caught Cod with Braised Beef Cheek, Cumin Scented Apple Chutney, and Saskatchewan Chanterelle Mushroom; Muscovy Duck with Smoked Coconut, Spring Onion, and Venezuelan Chocolate; Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Shank with Curried Sunchoke and New Zealand Spinach; Raspberry Sorbet with Lemon Verbena Cream and Chambord Curd Tart; Brown Butter Corn Bread with Michigan Cherries and Corn Gelato; and, Triple Criollo Riviera Cake with Lemon Balm Purée and Strawberry. Chef Trotter himself scared the daylights out of me (I actually screamed) when he came over to our table to say greetings and said that after dinner, he would be more than happy to give us a private tour of the kitchen — HOLY COW! After a pleasant meal, we had a tour of the kitchen, saw the different stations, saw the chefs delicately plating several dishes, took a picture of Chef Trotter himself, and saw the studio kitchen where Trotter films his shows. The whole experience was amazing, and it was sad to see one of Chicago’s institutions come to a close. Maybe one day, Chef Trotter will come back?! There was limited street parking on Armitage, and I was lucky to find a free spot.
+chef’s tasting
+kitchen tour
+pictures with the Chef !!!
+owned by Chef Trotter

Oh Katie V, If I could kick you in the crotch, I would. What a terrible review you put up, and how desperate you seem to be negative! If you prefer a place like Alinea to Trotter’s, then go to Alinea. It seems that your entire reason for coming to Trotter’s near the end was to «say that you’ve been there.» And to judge it so harshly, on standards of your day and age is highly unfair. You walked in negative. And so you had a bad experience. It’s as simple as that.
I am writing this review of my experience at Charlie Trotter’s years after it happened. And because the experience was so profound, I can tell you by sense memory what happened to me when I was there. I wasn’t drinking at the time, so I didn’t have my food palate dulled by the ferment of wine, and I didn’t get heady with all of the words of the servers. I will admit I was a bit spoiled — I dined in the studio kitchen and the chefs that brought out our food were not servers. The servers were silent. There were about 14 of us. At each course, the chefs for each segment came out and told us what we were eating. We were served tiny ciabatta rolls, hand-​made that day. You can TELL the difference between ciabatta that is sourced and ciabatta that is made by hand. The butter was hand-​scooped into small and delicate ramekins.
I never thought I would eat veal brain, but that night, I did. Fried and lightly breaded. I had freshly flown-​in small, delicate japanese oysters. One of my co-​chefs actually found a pearl in hers! (But she got so dippy on the wine she dropped it and it slipped somehow between the floorboards). We had popcorn crab — tiny crabs, the size of a nickel to a quarter, cooked in butter like popcorn. It was incredible. Loin of venison. Course after course came through, explosions of flavor on our tongues, in small portions that built and built on eachother to make us all orgiastically, finally, happily full… Then, a dessert from Chef Della that involved a Bodhisattva’s hand. And a few chocolate truffles that — tasting one after another each — were like being hosted in another world. I felt my body separate from my spirit more than once during the experience.
Around the table, we all got to know eachother better than we’d ever been able to as co-​workers.
Yes, Katie V. You insult me, and you insult the entire staff of Charlie Trotter’s — and every single person that ever sweated from the individual random elements of 1) washing a dish to step 36) prepping your vegs for just one component of the 5^th course to 57) clearing your finite plate. I’m being conservative with the numbers here.
Chef Trotter did something amazing for the world. He created an environment that focused solely on service to the point of incredible detail. He envisioned a place that lived and breathed on the lips and hearts of his diners, critics, chefs, students, and the lowly classes of kids he bussed in from under-​represented school districts to inspire people that would not otherwise understand or even be able to cultivate a passion — for something ethereal. What he did for the culinary world is astounding. What he meant to do for his guests he mostly accomplished. Except for reviewers like you, Katie V. He let you into paradise, and you took a big steaming crap in the middle of Eden.

I spent a good amount of my early young life watching PBS as my parents don’t believe in cable. Hell they still dont. Instead of MTV, I had the «Box». I lived on Sesame Street, Mr Rogers, Electric Company. As I got older I would get my early culinary television in Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, Lidia Bastianich, Rick Bayless, and Charlie Trotter. For years I watched not knowing what the food tasted like. In fact it is not until present day that I’m now trying the cooking of the aforementioned chefs.
It took Charlie Trotter announcing that he was closing to force my hand to head out and visit the restaurant. To dine on the eve of the 25^th anniversary was the goal and to finally try the cuisine of the chef I used to watch on TV.
If you start at the Loop and you’re in a taxi, it is hell to get through town to the restaurant. In fact my trip to the airport fro the Loop was easier. We arrived slightly late and one man down due to illness. We however were greeted graciously and after a short wait were taken to the upstairs dining room. We passed a ton of staff, offering their greetings. With one of the managers, telling us «Dont get too crazy up there!» Did my reputation proceed me here?
Now the downstairs room was very quiet. Eerily so. I was hoping that this wasn’t one of those places where you had to be super proper. WHen we got upstairs, we noticed that it wasn’t quite full however the larger parties where in the main room and they were having a good time. We decided to do the Grand Menu with the wine pairings and we were on our way…
Grand Menu
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –
Faroe Island Salmon with Roasted Salsify, Preserved Shallot & Kumamoto Oyster
Big Eye Tuna with Green Tomato Juice, Kalamata Olives & Avocado Sorbet
Citrus Steamed Line Caught Cod with Braised Beef Cheek, Cumin Scented Apple Chutney & Saskatchewan Chanterelle Mushroom
Muscovy Duck with Smoked Coconut, Spring Onion & Venezuelan Chocolate
Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Shank with Curried Sunchoke & New Zealand Spinach
Raspberry Sorbet with Lemon Verbena Cream & Chambord Curd Tart
Brown Butter Corn Bread with Michigan Cherries & Bourbon Ice Cream
Triple Criollo Riviera Cake with Lemon Balm Purée & Strawberry-​Tonka Bean Sorbet
Wine
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Champagne Jean Lallement Brut NV
Santorini Assyrtiko Domaine Sigalas 2011
Ermitage L’Ermite Blanc Chapoutier 2007
Valpolicella Superior Classico Tomasso Bussola 2006
Episode Napa Valley 2008
Jorge Ordonez & Co «Victoria-#1» Moscatel, Jorge Ordonez, Malaga 2007
Dash «Late Harvest» Zinfandel, Dry Creek 2009
The food was very good as expected. One of the most renowned restaurants in Chicago if not the country for a reason. After so many years of watching the man on TV, I finally got the cuisine. However deep down I can’t help to think that after the many fine dining experiences I have had in recent years, Charlie Trotter’s is frozen in time somehow. Was it really time for him to move on and get a fresh perspective? Regardless of the answer, it will always be a classic.
Our server Fran has been with the organization for 25 years, the 2^nd longest behind another server and Chef himself. I think as non regulars it took them a while to warm up to us. I felt a bit of rigidity, lack of comfort as we’re not regulars. Apparently there are folks that have been there 400 times and lots of powerful and famous people. Well even though Im not one of them, you expected to be treated that way in a place like this. We then honed in on Tomasz one of the other servers which totally changed the experience. He turned what seemed to be a by the books service into something more personable. From there on out after much talking, gathering stories, and questions, we broke through to the others. It turns out Tomasz’s sister was even recruited by him to work the floor in the last days of opening. After finishing up our last dessert, I made my way across the room and ran into Rajat Parr of Michael Mina Group fame. Weird to think I’d travel across the country to run into someone in my area.
Afterwards we were given a tour of the kitchen and got to speak with some of the line where the magic happens. The giant stockpot, the binchotan grill, the chefs table, the Pass. So many cool things that will no longer exist come end of month. Im guessing the many people that are working here will move onto many new future ventures. Will Chef Trotter come back after a sabbatical and get the band back together? Will he try something new, get new inspiration? Only time will tell. If he does, Ill make sure not to wait so long before giving his new venture a visit.

Obviously, this review is long overdue so here is the ditty. Trotters had been on my bucket list of restaurants for several years and my dear friends were kind enough to take me here for my birthday back in June. I was blown away with this offer, not only because CT is the best of the best, but also because they are closing at the end of this month.
You all know the drill with course tastings so I’ll leave out all that jazz. Clearly, you’re going to drop a load of cash here for very small, well presented portions but it’s all about the experience and service.
The food? Out of this world. As each dish arrived, we kept saying «this is the best thing we’ve had so far», only to be blown away when the next plate was put in front of us. We had a choice between the meat or the vegetable courses. Duh, we picked the carnivore selection. How could you not when you’re paying that much money?
Service was absolutely flawless. Our waiter was a doll and so many different people were helping out with the table, not a single thing was missed. Waters refilled as soon as you take a sip, bread and mouth watering whipped butter whenever you want it. Every. Single. Thing. is thought out here. We decided to do the wine pairing as well which was full of information and fabulous vino.
One thing that still stands out is the fact that it was so quiet in there. Seriously, it’s like you’re eating in a very old filthy rich mansion. Tables are very close together so if you feel like talking dirty, the entire restaurant will be bending over to listen. I wish they had played some low classical music or at least some Sinatra. I was also surprised to find out that there are only about 10 tables in the dining room so it was a very intimate experience.
We were there for a little over 4 hours, so make sure to block out some time…
I’m VERY glad I got to try out this one of a kind restaurant before their time comes to an end. Thank you Charlie Trotter’s for the amazing experience, and to my friends Adam and Ryan for the lovely birthday evening.

Overpriced? Absolutely, but …
Worth the price? Yes!, H E double hockey sticks YES
I didn’t think that I would ever eat here, and with it closing I knew that if not now, then it will be never. So I had to have my first two Michelin star experience and it was fantastic!
I understand people being upset that there were three desserts. BUT c’mon people they will probably be some if not the best three desserts that you will eat in your lifetime. Nothing was too sweet or heavy. The raspberry sorbet and corn gelato were freaking ridiculously good. If I was sitting in a corner and no one was watching, I would turn around and lick the plate clean. The best desserts that I have eaten have been from Michelin star restaurants, and this is not an exception. In fact, I seriously just hope that I get another opportunity to eat a better dessert!
Entrees were fantastic. Expectations were definitely achieved. I am not a red meat eater, so no beef cheek or lamb for me. Instead they just removed the beef cheek (if i knew they would do that, I would have given it to my friends who loved it) and squab instead of lamb which honestly could have been more duck, I couldn’t tell the difference, both were fantastic. Presentation on each plate was so precise and beautiful.
of course price/​value is not there. It’s not about the quantity of the food which kills me that people think they should be rolled out on a wheelbarrow because they think that paying almost 3 hundo (with a glass of wine) per person should keep you stuffed for a week. GET REAL, the more expensive food is, the less you get. but the experience, OH the experience can never be matched at any other non Michelin starred restaurant.
Service was slow and more relaxed. I did not mind it too much. They could have filled water a bit faster or asked me sooner if I wanted a glass of wine, p. s. the Riesling by the glass (18 bucks) was outstanding.
best part of the night was watching all the different decanters come out for my friend that did the wine pairing. also getting a tour of the kitchen and side room wasn’t too shabby either. It was very exciting and all you have to do is ask for one and they are more than happy to give a tour! Also Chef Charlie Trotter signed our menu. What a fantastic keepsake.
I am glad to have been able to experience such a wonderful restaurant by a world renowned chef. It is one that I will never forget!

* * This review is based upon enjoyment/​price/​value.
There is that person who wants to be at the best CSO concert ever, can’t wait to shout Bravo and applaud before the last note is played. Sometimes it’s not the best.
I’ve looked at some of the recent reviews since going to Trotter’s for the first time (at its closing moments). We had a major gift so we were going no matter what. I’m glad I didn’t read the reviews before going. But I must say the most recent seem accurate.
The bottom line is that I don’t think the dining experience warrants the price – this is true despite a third of our bill being paid by the gift.
On the décor, there is something to be said for its simplicity – maybe a quiet conservative canvas to draw the focus to the serving of the several courses, a simple classical image honed by years of stellar food. Perhaps. For some reason I was reminded of the old Chez Paul dining room.
Food on the whole was ⁸⁄₁₀. Three dessert servings did seem too much – three courses of sweet for a sweet-​aholic is even too much. (Of the desserts, the ice cream with Michigan cherries was very good – intense cherry with a contrast of bourbon ice cream).
The entrees preceding the dessert courses were better. Of those, the duck and lamb reached exquisite – simple preparation of the meat and a combination of flavors brought the top quality essence of the featured selections to the front.
Service: good start, followed by poor execution. A companion was gluten and dairy intolerant. The head waiter said not a problem at all. This, of course, would trigger a service of gluten free bread one would think. The breads did come very slowly for the table and yet more slowly for the one gluten free guest. Once presented, they were quite creative and varied – not the gluten free ones however, sporadically offered.
Approximately an hour to an hour and a half after the first course, a hostess came to ask us our taste reaction to the previous course. She explained that the chef oftentimes looks for feedback. Really? I truly had a hard time remembering the taste sensations. The consensus was that they had lost track of what they had served the table and were trying to recover. A better approach is to just say what happened and make amends.
At meal’s end, the table next to us complained to the server about the lack of attentiveness to drinks, that they had been attended to better on earlier visits. One patron’s drinks were removed from the bill.
Bravo to a proud honorable storied meritorious restaurant. However, not so as it begins to close the doors.

As others have said, nothing was bad, but nothing blew my mind. And for $ 195, I wanted some mind-​blowing food.
I won’t echo what others have said about the dated décor — I went in expecting to have a sense of humor about it. And it wasn’t ugly, just not what’s «hot» right now. Fine, whatever, I’m not there for the interior design.
Nothing was that memorable on the tasting — and 3 desserts out of 8 courses seemed silly. It was 3 fish courses (oyster, hamachi, a tiny piece of salmon that was my favorite), 2 meat courses (duck and lamb, both a little overcooked and uninspired in preparation) and 3 desserts. More than a ¹⁄₃ of the meal was dessert. And dessert is where restaurants recoup a lot of costs because they are the cheapest to make, so when you’re getting miniscule pieces of fish and meat and 3 dessert courses, one of which is sorbet, it’s kind of bullshit. A cheese course would have been nice in lieu of one of the desserts.
We did not do the wine pairing, because $ 125 for 8 half-​glasses seemed ridiculous. I took on the task of navigating the wine tome and we found a $ 70 bottle of Sancerre (which was opened before it was brought to the table, oddly enough) and a $ 145 bottle of Barolo. So instead of spending $ 500 for 4 people to have the tasting, we spent much less and had plenty of good wine to go around.
The oddest thing about the experience was the service. We were sitting for at least 10 minutes before our server came over. And nice as he was, he did not have an indoor voice. He was really loud, like he was missing the internal volume control most people have. It was funny and awkward. Everyone else who presented food was almost inaudible.
Finally, after we finished our bottle of white, we ordered our red wine and were brought new glasses. No one cleared the empty white glasses. Finally, we asked for them to be cleared. 20 minutes later, we had to ask again. 20 minutes later, we asked a 3^rd time and finally, they were cleared. This was astonishing to me, as a former server. Clearing empty glasses is like Server 101, whether you work at Applebee’s or Alinea.
So while I’m glad to have made it in before it closed, for those of you lamenting the fact that you never got to try Trotter’s, you haven’t missed that much. Maybe in its heyday, it was worth it, but now the only reason to go is just to be able to say you went.

Hearing that Charlie Trotter’s was closing in a month (because Charlie is going to travel with his wife and then go back to school) is like hearing that a guy your friends have been dying to set you up with is getting married to someone else.
I have been wanting to go to Charlie Trotter’s restaurant for years, but in my 20’s, I didn’t have money. Then, I got to my 30’s… and suddenly Girl and the Goat and Graham Elliot were a priority. Both did not disappoint. But, I felt like I had time to do an excessive Chicago culinary tour well into my 40’s, but Charlie Trotter’s early departure from this tour moved them up to this weekend.
On my phone, I plugged in what I thought was a shot-​in-​the-​dark attempt at getting a reservation and got one, however late. We were seated at 9:15pm, although our reservation was at 9:30. I was surprised by the quantity of empty tables as we walked through the restaurant… and that we were walking past them to some other location. They took us up a steep flight of stairs to the hot second floor. Minutes later, a couple, that immediately started talking about head cheese, was seated directly next to us.
Our selection options were a vegetarian or a meat-​centric prix fixe menu, which we attempted to research before we arrived, but there is no information online about the day’s selections. We were still quickly comfortable with the meat lovers $ 195 Grand Menu.
Just to clarify: that $ 195 does not include alcohol.
Our first service person told us in detail about the wine pairings («this is a SYRAH that is made from FOUND grapes on a PINOT orchard»), but when we asked for their scotch options, he said they didn’t have scotch. We mulled that over for several minutes and decided on other options. Then, the second service person came and told us they did have scotch and whiskey… or rather that he could «get» some for us. This was said in a «you-​want-​whiskey-​oh-​I-​know-​a-​guy» kind of tone.
After getting through the prohibition-​like drink ordering, we had some time before the first course.
Eating in this restaurant is like eating in a mid-​price restaurant that happens to have a prix fix menu… in the 80’s. We started to have a running theory that the reason Chef Charlie may be closing is so that he wouldn’t have to redecorate. It was like going on a date in a John Hughes movie. It felt like at any moment someone in taffeta would get proposed to.
Here are the specifics:
1. We were seated at 9:15pm and we left at 12:15am. There could have easily been 90 minutes taken off of this total time.
2. There were eight courses and three were desserts. I have a sweet tooth, but this was intimidating.
3. We had no less than seven people serving us during our time there. Some were more confident than others, but most seemed to have «senior-​itis». They were basically signing year books in the hallway.
4. The tuna with fennel was a great start. I want that as an appetizer every time I eat sushi.
5. The hamachi covered in squid ink was unimpressive… and a little scary. It still tasted great for however worried I was about undoing any teeth whitening treatment I have ever done.
6. The salmon, the duck and the antelope were the highlights and the reason why people should have come here… in the 80’s.
7. You would think that three dessert courses would come out quickly at midnight, but that is an inaccurate assumption, although the raspberry one was absolutely beautiful. Crunchy, cold and tart.
Two things that pulled us out of our overly critical experience:
1. The BREADS. Yes, they get capital letters. Amazing. Bacon rolls. Pretzel rolls. Yes, yes, yes.
2. With Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin playing in the background, we would occasionally remember, fondly, the world outside.
The final score is an 8 out of 10. Not better than Graham Elliot… which may be the best meal of my life, but I haven’t eaten at Alinea yet.
In closing, ladies and gentlemen, I got needlessly defensive about the recent reviews of Charlie Trotter’s before actually going there and now I support them. It is a meal we will never be able to repeat, but I am not sure that I need to.

Chef, thank you for giving us full portion of food, despite the fact that my parents ordered half portion and whined a lot during the dinner.
I salute your professionalism!

We were at CT’s to celebrate my husband’s 40^th birthday. Everyone said happy birthday to him when we walked in, so that was very nice. We went with the Grand Menu and the non-​alcoholic beverage menu, and was pleasantly surprised with the dishes that we were presented.
My favorite dish was Copper River King Salmon with Sweet Potato, Horseradish & Myoga. I love salmon, and I have never had something like that before. A bite of the slightly seared salmon (smoked with hickory wood somehow too) was heaven, and I made sure that I remember this moment, this taste, as I will probably never have it again in my life. The next dish Muscovy Duck with Smoked Coconut, Spring Onion and Venezuelan Chocolate was equally amazing, and my husband wrote this immediately after:
This beautiful mouth full of more than beauty — …the world slips away, a beach dissolved in a warm breeze with waves of analog static lapping against the edges of my mind, slowly pulling me into the sweet delicious and savory sea… as long as the morsel lasts, then one more bite…
and again…
There were some comments on Unilocal saying there wasn’t enough food, so I just want to throw in my two cents. Both my husband and I felt really satisfied (I was pretty full) after we ate all the 8 dishes, all the drinks, some of the bread, plus the coffee (him) or tea (me). Unless you are a really big eater, I don’t think there will be a problem fulfilling your appetite.

We just dined at Charlie Trotter’s and now I’m sad. Sad that I waited 6 years and until the threat of closing before I finally went. I’ve done a lot of fine dining and I would put our experience at Charlie Trotter’s right up at the top.
After reading the reviews, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I kind of thought I’d be dining in a time warp, surrounded by black lacquer with gold accents and silk floral arrangements, a la 1984. I had visions of pretentious waiters in pleated suits rambling off memorized scripts. I also expected that the food and service would not live up to the experience I had at Alinea and the like. Boy was I in for a surprise.
The first thing that struck me was that the atmosphere was comfortable. No black lacquer in sight. We were there to celebrate my birthday and the staff could not have been nicer. Since I’m sure that everyone going to this place is celebrating something, it has to get old for them. You wouldn’t know it, they made a big enough deal without making it obnoxious. I was a little afraid when they threatened to sing but thank goodness they were kidding. I loved it.
The staff was friendly and relaxed. Attentive enough but not overbearing and our meal was paced very nicely. It was perfect. When they noticed that we were there to have a fun night, they even came out with a sense of humor. A pleasant surprise.
We both went with the Grand Menu. Sure, none of our food was served on a slowly deflating pillow of scented air, but all of the food was outstanding. The flavors were unique and delicious in every dish. There was not a single one that I didn’t like, or want to lick the plate. I feel like in a lot of restaurants, taste is sacrificed for presentation. Not here. The presentation was beautiful but the flavor combinations were definitely the highlight.
I chose the wine pairings with the menu, which were very good. The non alcoholic pairings, however, were exceptional. I swear, I was ready to bribe one of the chefs for a recipe book. If I could make these juice combinations at home, I would never drink again. So so good. Get these.
After dinner, we asked for a tour of the kitchen. I’m so glad we did. I was struck by how young all of the chefs were but Chef Trotter definitely runs a tight ship. It was a pleasure having the opportunity to meet him and nice to see that he is present throughout the service.
It was truly a special experience having the opportunity to go. I was afraid it wouldn’t be worth the hype but everything far exceeded my expectations. I hope we haven’t seen the last of Charlie Trotter.

I went here for my 40^th Birthday & should have written a review at that time… This is an experience I wish everyone could have. If once in your life you could have true, gracious, expeirenced service, this is it, unless you go to The French Laundry or the such.
The menu is seasonal
Grand Tasting, a Veg Menu & etc, feel free to check the web site.
The wine list is AMAZING
Had a chance to go thru the kitchen & wine cellar WOW.
Its sad its closing this August 2012, but so many fabulous chefs have moved on to there own great places.
It was an AWESOME EXPERIENCE I will never forget. I even got a cookbook just beacuse. and my menu was personalized just for me & I got to keep it.
Amazing! Thanks Charlie for the Phenominal Meal & Time, I’ll never for get it!

I have been deciding whether to try out Charlie Trotter’s for years, but always decided not to. When I heard it was closing, i figured I better try it before it is gone in August.
I would say the food is 4 or 5 star. More likely 4 star, but I want to start this review out as positively as possible. The preparations, presentation, and flavors were very good.
Here is why I wouldn’t come back or even come in the first place. Restaurants in this price range and stratosphere of fine dining need flawless service. Service was a joke here. I wasn’t seated until 20 minutes after my reservation time without an apology. Butter was not brought to the table by a server until the second piece of bread was served by the bread chef. Dishes were attempted to be coordinated for drop down at the table, but every dish delivery seemed like an uncoordinated dance by two people with left feet. The meal took over three and a half hours when it should have taken closer to two if they properly paced it according to my preference.
The three star review is to give them the benefit of the doubt that this was an off day. This is more likely a two star or lower review if what I saw was the norm.

What an amazing New Year’s celebration!
Spectacular food coming out of a legendary kitchen. Guests had run of the restaurant with a constant stream of wine, champagne and cocktails as well as glorious bites that would barely make it out of the kitchen. The lamb chop appetizer was some of the best lamb I have had, cooked to perfection. Spring rolls with lemongrass were a bite of heaven. Added to the passed appetizers there were four stations throughout the restaurant, Shabu Shabu, Raw bar, Risotto and sashimi and charcuterie upstairs. The most amazing bites were received directly from the chef’s as they prepared them in the pristine kitchen.
I suppose I should have started with this but at Charlie Trotter’s 25^th anniversary New Year’s celebration he made the announcement to his staff and guests that he will be closing his legendary Chicago restaurant in August of 2012!
It was an historic evening in the career of this acclaimed chef.
What an amazing evening the staff was so gracious and everyone truly had a wonderful time. My husband and I were lucky enough to Polka in the test kitchen at this usually restrained and understated elegant restaurant. What an experience!
If you can, check it out before this culinary mecca is gone. It was a must eat. Quintessential Chicago.

I liked it, really I did. It’s very very good food. But $ 700 good? To be fair, it’s likely there’s no food on earth that’s $ 700 good, so perhaps I shouldn’t be giving a review, or shouldn’t have gone in the first place. But we did, and I don’t regret it, but I certainly wouldn’t do it again.
The service is outstanding, exactly what you’d expect. Really above and beyond what you’d see anywhere else. The food was good. We had the grand tasting, which was about 8 or 9 courses. To be honest, the only one that stood out was the meat course. Everything else was good, but not «OMG what is in my mouth» good. It was sort of heavy on dessert, with 3 sweet courses. We also had the wine pairings, which were probably the most reasonably priced thing on the menu, for what you get. They weren’t stingy with the pours at all, and if you finished you glass before the course was over they gave you a refill, which is awesome.
In the end, my experience didn’t make me think poorly of Charlie Trotters, per se, but it did make me reconsider the super-​high-​end restaurant concept altogether.

Came here for free with my HS Concert Choir. I think it’s a charity thing that Charlie Trotter’s does with Public Schools. MAN it was such a legit experience. I still think about the amazing 12-courses…it’s been a WHILE since that, though.
Have never had anything quite as fantastical. You can taste the excellent blend of flavors in each bite of every course, and all the dishes are carefully arranged and look beautiful. Portion sizes are just right so you can eat it and crave it, but move on to the next meal.
Will go back when I have money… or feel like throwing some away…

Divine.

A little too «culinary intense» for my tastes. Portions need to be 15% larger to justify $ 165 meal. Yes, quality is the priority but value puts a smile on your face. And no foie gras any more :(
Good to check out but no rush to return.

My husband surprised me for our 30^th wedding anniversary in August with dinner at this place on the recommendation of a friend. This was not the top restaurant she would have recommended, but he couldn’t get a reservation in time at her first choice (which I still don’t know the name of because my husband wants to surprise me again).
My opinion might change after I visit her first choice, but for now I’m giving Charlie Trotter’s five stars. It was probably one of the top five high-​end dining experiences I’ve had. (I see from some of the reviews that not everyone would agree with me, but we’re all entitled to our opinion, and as this was my first visit, I can’t compare it to what it would have been ten years ago, as some reviewers are doing.)
We had the eight-​course Grand Menu, which included matched wine pairings. Everything tasted so good, I actually had to put my fork down after each bite in order to chew slowly and savor every flavor. The portions were tiny, but after eight courses we were more than satisfied. We’re usually red wine people, but we enjoyed even the white wines they chose for us because they complimented the courses they accompanied so well. As for the reds, we liked the 2005 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Bussola that came with the braised lamb shoulder so much, we had our wine dealer find some of it for us a few days later.
The service was flawless, which it should be if you’re plunking down this much money on a meal. Someone was there to pull out my chair for me every time I visited the ladies’ room. They even accompanied me there and held the door open for me. (I was almost afraid they would follow me in there to help me wipe myself, but luckily they didn’t.) Before we left, we were also given a tour of the kitchen. We plan on trying the kitchen table menu, where you dine in the kitchen on spontaneously prepared food, some time in the future.

Na toll, im feinen Restaurant durfte ich nicht Platz nehmen, man schickte mich in die Küche, außerhalb des Blickfeldes der anderen Gäste. Kleiderordnung? Fragwürdige Hauspolitik? Mitnichten. Ich hatte den besten Platz.
Nach dem Eintreten wurde der Name im Reservierungsbuch geprüft und mit einem Grinsen wurden wir begrüsst: Ah, die Gäste aus Berlin? Sie hatten sich für den Küchentisch interessiert. Nun, wir haben da eine gute Nachricht.
Neben dem gediegenen Ambiente des Restaurants, (oberschenkeldicke Verschwiegenheitsteppiche, die jedes Geräusch schlucken, dezente Beleuchtung. Die amerikanische Variante von ernsthaft-​gediegen mit einer kleinen Prise Design. Es riecht teuer) gibt es einen einzigen Tisch mit erhöhtem Spaß– und Genußfaktor — eben in der Küche. Der Kitchen Table (langfristige Reservierung ratsam), der normalerweise nicht für nur zwei Gäste freigegeben wird, also Glück gehabt. Man sitzt mitten im Geschehen, betrachtet die Abläufe, das Abschmecken und die Hektik, bis die einzelnen Teller (jeder wird genau geprüft) die Küchenräume verlassen. Hier wird gelacht, geschimpft, gegessen.
Seit 1987 gibt es diesen kulinarischen Tempel in Uptown Chicago. In der Zwischenzeit ist Mr. Trotter ein gefeierter Fernsehstar, verkauft zahlreiche Kochbücher und wird mit Lob und Auszeichnungen überschüttet. Bei meinem Besuch war er nicht im Hause, sondern bestimmt obermegawichtig unterwegs, Präsidenten bekochen, oder so. Dem Vergnügen tat seine Abwesenheit keinen Abbruch.
Der Kitchen Table bekommt so ziemlich jeden Gang zu verkosten, der die Küche verlässt. Das waren dann so ca. 16 Gänge plus diverse Grüsse und Kleinigkeiten. Verführerisch und überraschend die Geschmacksnuancen und Zusammenstellungen: Artischockensuppe mit Honig und Minze; Washu-​gyu Rind mit fermentiertem schwarzen Knoblauch; Roquefort mit Quitten und Sauternes Gelee; Austern mit Schweinebauch. Karamellisierter Pfirsich mit Mandeln auf Pedro Ximenez Sud. Verrücktes Zeug. Ein Gang war toll, ich kann ihn aber nicht aussprechen, geschweige denn übersetzen: Michigan Heirloom Tomatoes with Fava Beans and Chervil.
Wir durften Fragen stellen. Alles wurde geduldig erklärt und gezeigt. Wollt ihr mithelfen? Na klar. Also: ran an den Herd.
Die Küchenkünstler freuten sich über unser Interesse.
Hin und wieder wurden andere Gäste in die Küche geführt und warfen neidvolle Blicke und entsprechende Kommentare zu unserem Tisch.
Dieser Abend war ein einmaliges Erlebnis. Mit herrlichem und ungewöhnlichem Essen, sympathischer Betreuung und dem aufregenden Tisch im Auge des Orkan.
Der Preis? Nun, für das Geld haben wir sechs einfache Übernachtungen in NYC bekommen. Meine Seele gehört nun Mastercard.
(31.10.2008)