awbrig

NOrth MIchigan (avenue)

not new borns and wild 4 year olds! Altho my son Emory likes Mr. Trotter quite a lot!

Chicago, who lives in Chicago?!?

half tang usually have brass rivets which expand and contrast due to heat stretching the wood or plastic making them eventually shake or come loose...half tang knives are cheap, in a word...

had a few bottles of 94 Opus, gone now however...

I have had about 15 bottles of opus at the markets hayday in my collection and am now down to the last one, sniff sniff...Ithnk it's bery good but not outstanding...and BTW this dinner is to celebrate the baby...unfortunately, as you know, kids aren't invited to Charlie Trotters...

im with rslux, i dont do mayo either! Trotter has a great potato salad w smoked salmon and horseradish that is excellent...I also want to try out that Flay recipe someone mentioned earlier w saffron...

I have these 3 bottles I am considereing corking at Charlie Trotters this weekend @$50 cost...any suggestions... Quintessa 1996 Opus One 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages 1996 Thanks!

I know what u mean Cabreles, and I was kidding...most people however don't put that much attention into cuisine like we all do though, y'know? And Jin...Ct and I are good friends however CT doesnt need me to spread the word about his restaurant...everyone knows already... However Ct has put me, my wife and my mother in a few episodes of his Kitchen Sessions television program Who is Rob Feenie and what knock offs...Im interested in learning more...

thats pretty funny...were you a philosophy major?

hey cab... trivia question...you know what nomi stands for? (easy)

Bored, are you crazy?!? I never get bored of being treated like a king..its like a mini 3.5 hour vacation for me..and sometimes I just need to goto Trotters for rebalance in my life, if that make sense...Its a very Zen - like moment for me... My first visit to Trotters was actually disappointing - although we have the menu framed and displyed in our home, among others...That first visit was about 8 years ago...We tend to go about 7 -8 times a year and also for special anniversary dinners... Ive had the best meals of my life here altho Ive had about 3-4 disappointments - meaning not excellent. Funny thing is, the best experiences, ironically happen right after the relatively disappointing dinners...I would love to go there w you sometime along w Aurora and others and hopefully relive some of the best experiences ever in a restaurant...

its $50 and only if they dont have the bottle in inventory... Ive been to Trotters probably 80+ times and have never brought in a bottle...but I just may this time...

"and both are less than excellent in their treatment of foodstuffs." And why would you say this? On another note... Hey Cabrales, we are going to CTs next Sat for my B-Day and to celebrate my wife introduction to wine again after 9 months and I will be very interested in comparing notes as to our dinners... im thinking of bringing my 1996 Quintessa or 1996 Cinq Cepages and forking over the $50 corkage...

Actually, that is how they are doing the menu's these days, by mailing them to you - usually so they can be signed. They also sometimes give you the menu and mail you another set. Also, the reason too is because they update the mailed menu in accordance to what you may have had- if off the original menu... Guillermo is usually not at the restaurant these days but spending the majority of the time at the store- his wife still is at the restaurant full-time. Matt Merges primarily is in charge (next to Charlie, of course).

interesting CT comments from Chowhound...lol Also, there is tons, and tons and tons, bordering on fetishitic, talk of Trotter on another Internet food board [moderators, remember, it's nowhere close to being as good as chowhound.]

Charlie is self-educated. He has no "formal training." Has he learned and utilized techniques from other chefs and cuisine? Of course, who hasn't... Here's a little run down... After graduating from UW Madison, w Political Science Degree, he waited tables for Gordon Sinclair in Lake Forest. After several months of doing that he was moved to a line cook. ( I know Gordon Sinclair and he once told me that when he hired Charlie as a busboy he knew that Charlie had something special and was going to be big...) Charlie told his father he was interested in opening a restaurant someday and knew that the culinary world was his calling. His father told him he would help him when he felt he was ready... Moved to San Fran and lived there for a year and a half. Attended California Culinary Academy but dropped out after only 4 months. Stayed in the city and worked in a few kitchens, including Hotel Meridien. Took advantage of being close to Napa and increased his knowledge of wine. Moved to Jupiter, FL where he hooked up w Norman Van Aken & Gordon Sinclair to open Sinclair's Grill. After 6 months Charlie travelled to New York to dine in the city... Went to Paris and ate his way around for 6 months immersing himself in famous cuisine and cookbooks. Had an "epiphany" at Girardet in Switzerland in 1985 and knew what he was going to do. With the help of his father, opened Charlie Trotters in 1987.

i think NoMi is overrated and over priced myself altho the Park Hyatt is beautiful! post the pics!

Im from Chicago, and I would never use Chicago Cutlery... The reason they sharpen so easily is because they are stainless w very little if any carbon in them - More impotantly however is that they do not keep an edge so you have to constantly sharpen them...and also the wooden handles absorb unsanitary oils and substances and dry out as well...

he said "just don't eat it...it's not like you need to have it I Need to have it.

thats a great deal! are u truly allergic to caviar or do u just not like it...I say Im allergic to mushrooms evern tho Im not i just dont like them

wow! sounds awesome...so what was the cost for this extravaganza? and btw you're allergic to caviar? that it very unfortunate...what happens if you eat it?

Cabrales, It's hard to say when or if you get parting gifts but its usually during a special event such as a Birthday or anniversary...Its usually a book or a few food products... Im actually surprised you werent given a few special off menu dishes considering the wines you purchased...or perhaps they were chosen in mind of the kitchen table menu...

he actually started cooking between cook offs with his roomate in college... worked as a bus boy in Chicago under Gordon Sinclair, eventually moved into the kitchen and worked under Gordon and Norman Van Aiken and also ate his away around Europe...but no official schooling...

Well, I know Charlie does not put major emphasis on cooks fom prestigious culinary schools or certain locations where professinal chefs are born unto... France being included. Charlie, himself, has no formal training...