Menu from Spring, 2006 (with wine accompaniment)

Amuse Gueule (Gaston Chiquet "Tradition" Brut NV)
An "amuse gueule" (or "amuse bouche") is a small morsel, compliments of the kitchen, meant to start the meal with a unique and pleasing-to-the-eye dish.

Slowly cooked skate wing with fennel frond sorbet, grainy mustard, and fennel pollen (Lusco do Mino Albarino, Rias Baixas 2004)

Steamed Tasmanian ocean trout with razor clams, chives, and pork belly vinaigrette (Selbach-Oster "Zeltinger Sonnenuhr" Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2002)
The idea of mixing "pork belly vinaigrette" with fish (the "ocean trout" is very similar to salmon) doesn’t sound appealing, but it worked.

Whole roasted squab with braised pearl onions, Marcona almonds, and Szechwan peppercorn reduction (Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, Martinborough, 2002)
I loved the presentation of this dish. The Szechwan peppercorn reduction was not spicy at all, but was flavorful and added a twist to this dish.

Millbrook Farm venison loin with kohlrabi, white polenta, and spiced date (Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza 2002)
This dish paired very well with the wine. They may have heard us comparing (unfavorably) the size of their wine pours to other restaurants, since during this course they topped our glasses twice.

Meyer lemon and olive oil sherbet with candied Buddha’s hand (Recioto di Soave "Vigna Morogne" Tamellini 2002)
"Buddha’s hand" is a lemon-like fruit, not as juicy or tart as a regular lemon. Good way to cleanse the palate for the chocolates.

Mignardises (Quinta do Crasto Vintage Port 1999)
Mignardises are bite-size sweets served at the end of the meal. Charlie Trotter sends out between five and ten different kinds. Typically many of the items are chocolate-related.

Charlie Trotter’s namesake restaurant is consistently rated one of the top eateries in the United States, and with good reason. Relative newcomers such as Alinea and Moto (whose chefs spent some time in Charlie’s kitchen) feature far more flamboyant dishes. However, the presentation, service, and creativity in the kitchen at Charlie Trotter’s remain very strong.

Charlie Trotter’s has always been focused on tapping into local and regional suppliers, to ensure freshness. At the same time, the grand menu will include seafood (no oceans near Chicago of course), so the kitchen pulls together food from just about everywhere.

The kitchen serves two different degustation menus: the vegetarian menu and the grand menu. The grand menu includes seafood and meat courses, while obviously the vegetarian does not. The wait staff will ask about any food allergies or preferences, and they will modify the menu somewhat if required.

As of early 2006, the grand menu was $145, the wine accompaniment was $85 (the vegetable menu would be slightly less). The accompanying review has a course-by-course description, with personal comments, of the grand menu for the day we visited. This review provides an overview of the entire Trotter "experience."

The restaurant is in an old "three-flat" apartment building, so there are multiple dining rooms in the restaurant, on multiple floors. There is no elevator, so when making reservations let them know if anyone in your party has difficulty getting up or down a flight of stairs. Each dining room holds fewer than ten tables or so, which provides a nice intimate setting. You enter on the first floor, into a foyer with a small bar (in numerous visits I have yet to see anyone actually have a drink at the bar). There is one dining room on the first floor, along with the kitchen. You will likely be invited to take a quick tour of the kitchen, perhaps by Charlie Trotter’s mother, who serves as a "maitre’d emeritus." Some wines are stored here, along with their cheese cellar. A second kitchen and dining table, used for Charlie Trotter’s PBS television show, is also located on the first floor.

The décor in each room is simple and uncluttered, with wainscoted walls in light yellow or cream. A flower vase may decorate a serving station. The walls, in general, are unadorned. Some areas of the restaurant have signed menus from special events hosted by or attended by Charlie Trotter. One interesting item is the Multiple Listing Service real-estate listing for the building...a nice piece of history.


Their website is www.charlietrotters.com, which also has information on Trotter’s To Go, a take-out restaurant in Lincoln Park, and his line of gourmet food gifts.

We were an hour late for our dinner at Charlie Trotter’s because it started to snow, and cabs were hard to come by. The staff nonetheless was very accommodating and seated us with no problems when we finally arrived. They told us to sit down and relax while they served us the Alain Soutiran Blanc de Blancs-Grand Cru Brut.

After the amuses came, we were served the first of six courses from the Grand prix fixe menu: buttermilk poached poularde breast with pomegranate gastrique, served with frisee and cashew cheese. The pomegranate juice with the cashew in this dish made the chicken breast taste more than just white meat. Next came the scallop with a lone crab claw and an oyster—a memorable surprise for a seafood lover like me. What came next had Chef Trotter’s signature of combining ingredients that most people do not expect: Japanese hamachi and oxtail with black trumpet mushrooms and collard greens. I knew I had at least two more dishes to go, so I didn’t finish this dish, especially because the red wine-braised carrots made it heartier. The bison tenderloin came next, with veal cheeks and white truffles—a very decadent dish indeed. That course sealed the night for me. I was officially full.

Throughout our courses, we drank matching wines from a Selbach-Oster Riesling to an Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, a Robert Sinskey Merlot, a Rias Baixas, and a couple of ports that accompanied our desserts: quince sorbet and russet apple with ice cream.

Needless to say, we didn’t make the house music party we planned to attend after dinner, but after a relaxed and much focused evening at Charlie Trotter’s, who needs anything else?