Staff - Charlie Trotter: How One Superstar Chef and His Iconic Chicago Restaurant Helped Revolutionize American Cuisine

Charlie Trotter garnishes a dish at his Armitage Avenue restaurant.

Phil Vettel wrote the following story, with contributions by Mark Caro, Kevin Pang and Naomi Nix, shortly after the renowned Chicago restaurateur announced his restaurant will close after marking its 25th anniversary in August 2012.

New Years Eve is a time for drama, but chef Charlie Trotter outdid himself Sunday, January 1, 2012.

Shortly after midnight, in front of some 100 guests in his eponymous restaurant, Trotter dropped a bomb: At the end of August, after the acclaimed restaurant celebrates its 25th anniversary, Charlie Trotters would close.

Right after we rang in the New Year, said WGN news anchor Tom Negovan, who was in attendance, he and his wife, Rochelle, climbed up on the countertop near the wine cellar. He said its been a wonderful 25 years at the restaurant, and hoped the next eight months would be even more incredible. He said the restaurants going to close and hell move on to other things.

Some of us were slack-jawed and really shocked; we didnt know if he was joking, Negovan said. Charlies got a pretty unique style, kind of a jokester.... The crowd fell silent, then started to applaud and cheer....

He talked about wanting to go back to school and pursuing philosophy, Negovan said. As much as we think of him as an incredible chef, hes first and foremost a brilliant mind and academic.

His restaurant has been the standard-bearer for fine dining, and perhaps more important, for fine-dining service, for at least 23 of its 25 years. Trotter and his every-day-a-new-menu kitchen have led and inspired a generation of chefs and have developed and cemented Chicagos reputation as a magnet for top culinary talent. For the restaurant to close on its own terms, on a day solely of the chef/owners choosing, is quintessential Trotter: Decisive, defiant and always a step ahead of the expectations of others.

Trotter may have given a hint to the restaurants closing in a Tribune interview a few months ago. Back in September, he reflected on, among other things, being taken for granted.

Now he may put those reflections to the test. Trotter says hes not closing the Lincoln Park restaurant for financial reasons, and that once he completes his masters degree he will open another restaurant.

This isnt the first time the chef has contemplated shuttering his restaurant.

In a 2001 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times , he spoke of exploring other interests and hinted that he might not be here a year from then. But he quickly backed away from that statement. This time, Trotter announced the closing in front of dozens of people and gave a date.

Charlie Trotters has long been considered one of the finest restaurants in the United States, with Trotter having won numerous awards from the prestigious James Beard Foundation over the years. Charlie Trotters also has been a training ground for some of the citys top chefs, including Grant Achatz, Homaro Cantu, Curtis Duffy, Graham Elliot, Matthias Merges, Mindy Segal, Michael Taus and Giuseppe Tentori.

For some chefs who worked with Trotter over the years, the timing of the announcement was surprising, but the news itself wasnt.

I think this has been brewing for some time, said Merges, who worked for Trotter for 14 years and was the restaurants director of operations.

Hes been doing this so long, its a wonderful thing for him to do a little traveling and experience life more, said Taus. In this industry, we dont get to experience that very much.

Chef Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill couldnt resist firing off a sly Tweet: Frontera turns 25 n Mar; not closing :).

Other Twitter users found it hard to understand all the fuss.

Im shedding no tears over Charlie Trotters closing, tweeted one man, while another user commented, What will the people of Chicago do without a $400 a couple restaurant?

But Oswego resident and self-professed foodie Chris Ross said he plans to call Tuesday to try for reservations. Its on our wish list because of Mr. Trotters accomplishments as a chef, and the recognition of his namesake restaurant in the culinary world and as a premier dining experience in Chicago, Ross said.

The next eight months at Charlie Trotters are less likely to resemble a drawn-out wake than a well-earned victory lap. They will be packed with events (some already planned for the restaurants anniversary), at least one book release and a whole lot of celebrating.

As Vettel notes, 2012 will be a year of reflection and celebration surrounding the central figure in Chicagos ascent to world-class gourmet dining destination. Over the years, Trotter has seen his share of drama as well. He was the target of anger during the dustup over the ethics of serving foie gras in Chicago restaurants in the mid-aughts. Earning his reputation for unflinching perfectionism and an iron-fisted demeanor, he has partnered with some elite chefs while competing for dominance with others.

Throughout the past quarter-century, though, the heart of Trotters story has always been the Lincoln Park restaurant that bears his name, where patrons will wait months for a chance to dine at the chefs table: the coveted seat in the kitchen where they can watch Trotter himself at work. This book explores and documents the pivotal role Trotter has played in Chicagos dining world and its evolution over his restaurants pathbreaking 25-year run.