Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter
Charles "Charlie" Trotterwas an American chef and restaurateur...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChef
Date of Birth8 September 1959
CityWilmette, IL
CountryUnited States of America
classes fan harm milton obligatory took wants
I took the obligatory economics classes in school, but I've long been a fan of the Milton Friedman philosophy and its libertarian bent: One must be free to do what one wants to do, as long as you don't harm another. This is the seminal treatise on free-market economics.
graduated knew sure
When I graduated I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn't want a conventional career.
chicago cities far food greatest saying
For over 20 years, I have been saying that Chicago is by far one of the greatest food cities in the world.
artists chefs common few food reproduce simply skilled themselves time
In a time when it is common for chefs to simply reproduce the innovations of others, the few who speak for themselves through their food become the skilled artists of their time.
anybody causes good level maybe outside
Maybe it's good to be traumatized in your youth, to make you think differently and step outside the box. Anybody can be comfortable, but if you get your world rocked, shaken as it were, then maybe it causes you to really go to a whole other level in a different way.
interested life satisfied
Any fool can be happy. What I'm interested in is satisfaction. There's got to be more to life than just being happy. You've got to be fulfilled. You've got to be satisfied; philosophically satisfied is what I mean.
across both difference knife meal using versus
If you know what you're doing, you can make a meal happen with any kitchen knife. But using a top-quality knife versus a low-quality one is the difference between driving a Jaguar and a VW Jetta across the country. They'll both get you there. But the Jaguar will give you a much smoother ride.
accused alone chosen coming god insofar line smiling sun towards work
Sometimes I think I should have chosen a line of work where it was just me alone in the room, with the sun coming in, and God, insofar as he or she exists, smiling down upon me. Then I would have never been accused of being a tyrant, other than towards myself.
american-celebrity dining elements equal four happening measure overall taught
All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level.
behind inspired la lovely realize
I was always inspired by restaurants like La Tulipe in Manhattan. You'd walk right by and say, 'Oh what a lovely house.' You didn't realize there was a restaurant behind the door.
applying bars boring compared hanging people spend stuff twenties
I don't understand people who spend their twenties hanging out in bars and going to football game. That stuff is so boring compared to really applying yourself to what you do.
plan work
My plan is to work on a master's in philosophy.
adage rarely
You know the old adage that the customer's always right? Well, I kind of think that the opposite is true. The customer is rarely right.
lived time turn
I don't want to turn 50 and say, 'Gosh, I wish I'd lived in that part of the world for a time. I wish I'd read that book by Faulkner.' I want time to delve back into Thoreau and Kafka.