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
anywhere near trying
To me, searching for perfection isn't anywhere near as interesting as trying to find your own voice.
budget continued dollar energy finally forward looking pay spent trying
We were all looking forward to this and we spent a lot of energy in trying to do this, ... But as the budget continued to escalate, we just finally said, 'Do we really want to pay off an 11-1/2, 12-million dollar restaurant?'
close hard spokesman trying
I'm not trying to become the spokesman for this kind of thing, but you've got to look hard and close at this,
god tackle trying
I don't know how to put this gently, but I'm trying to tackle the biggest question of all, which is the God question.
cook high liked natural oven root slowly takes until
I've always liked root vegetables because most of them have a natural sweetness. They have a high fructose content, especially when you cook them and caramelize them in a saute pan. Or you can take a turnip and cook it slowly in the oven until it's browned, and it takes on a kind of sweetness. These vegetables are pretty easy to like.
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.
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.
american-celebrity felt mall people protesting
I couldn't really relate to the fraternity or party scene, to the people out in the mall every day protesting one thing or another. I felt like there was no one I could relate to.
call designer experts proven
I wouldn't call it designer food. It's more proven experts in the field.
loud
I would always be embarrassed to read out loud in class because I would transpose words and letters and things.
I worked in 40 restaurants over a five-year period.
brothers kick
I got on a Dostoyevsky kick right after college. I started with 'Crime and Punishment,' went on to 'The Possessed' and then 'The Brothers Karamazov' and 'The Idiot.'
casual changed concept design elements exciting originally remove
I didn't want to remove some of the exciting design elements to make it work. And then the concept changed to something a little more casual than we originally planned.
life
I don't ever want to lose that mind-set where you've got to be able to realize different ideas-slash-fantasies-slash-possibilities in your life.