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Trotter's and Trio lately

Steve Plotnicki

By Steve Plotnicki
in The Heartland: Dining

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Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
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You know Im just kidding about you Suvir....You're awesome.  Okay not awesome....  But a pretty cool guy... :smile:

I wish I could say even half as much about you and feel I was being honest. :shock:

Thanks Awbrig. :smile:

You seem to be finding the kind Awbrig lately.. and I am enjoying seeing that side of you come out into the board.

You really were very brave in your apology to ballast. A gallant thing to do. It was inspiring.

And I wish you both a great meal at CT. If I do make a trip to Chicago, I would love to go with you to CT. I am in the Steve P camp... but willing and able to be charmed.... :smile:

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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When was the first time you ate at CT, Awbrig?

Do you remember your first meal?

How was it?

Did you know the chef then?

Has the experience gotten better ever since you developed a relationship with the chef?

Please answer.... thanks, Awbrig! :smile:

awbrig

awbrig

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When was the first time you ate at CT, Awbrig?

Do you remember your first meal?

How was it?

Did you know the chef then?

Has the experience gotten better ever since you developed a relationship with the chef?

Great question Suivr.

First off, when I lived in Milwaukee I always wanted to eat at Charlie Trotters.

When I moved to Chicago it wasnt until a year or so that I had the money to actually eat there...and it was an experience...it wasnt that good...

I had never had foie gras before and we were presented with the whole liver...poached I think...not seared...

i got a chance to meet Charlie for a bit and it was awkward then and I asked him a dumb question which im sure he doesnt remember now, thank god...We now know each other quite well...Charlie even had us - me, my wife and my mother on The Kitchen Sessions w Charlie Trotter...

Anyway, we are well over our fear of foie gras and actually have that actual first dinner menu at CT's framed in our hallway that you will see when you visit - or anyone else for that matter...

Edited by awbrig (log)
Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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you should find a way to come, suvir.  if not dog tracks, i hear keno is hot right now.  :wink:

Awbrig began by offering to fly me, get me home in a limo and take me to CT as his guest and also to dine me for 5 nights at places of my choice.. And now all of that has been proven to be all talk... What can I say... I am a nervous wreck... Will take my pills and try and get some sleep. Calm my nerves...

Maybe when I am fine again... I will see if I can come to Chicago. I promise. Have fun without me. Make sure he treats you to dinner at CT... take him up on the offer very soon.. lest he has a memory failure as he did with me. :shock:

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
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When I moved to Chicago it wasnt until a year or so that I had the money to actually eat there...and it was an experience...it wasnt that good...

I had never had foie gras before and we were presented with the whole liver...poached I think...not seared...

How many years ago was this?

Did you not enjoy the Foie Gras at all?

Actually I love seared Foie Gras... one of my favorite dishes in the world. But I had some great poached Foie Gras in Singapore :shock: and found it quite amazing.

What else was lacking in your first experience?

What do you think has changed? Have you gotten used to that bad experience and found it acceptable for it is considered sublime by the media and many others? Or do you really believe your palate has changed?

What made you try CT for the first time. And what made you go back to CT even though your first experience was not all that great?

ballast_regime

ballast_regime

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i hear the crack is very good in new york, better than anything you guys have in chicago, awbrig.

perhaps we can tempt suvir to trotter's by asking charlie to serve foie gras with emulsified crack.

suvir: see, i'm learning to use low-blows because i've been watching you guys. :wink:

"Get yourself in trouble."

--Chuck Close

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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i got a chance to meet Charlie for a bit and it was awkward then and I asked him a dumb question which im sure he doesnt remember now, thank god...We now know each other quite well...Charlie even had us  - me, my wife and my mother on The Kitchen Sessions w Charlie Trotter...

Why was it awkward?

Of course you asked a dumb question. What else would one expect from a man from WI. :shock: What was the question? Do you remember? How did CT react to this dumb question?

How was it like to be on the set for The Kitchen Sessions w Charlie Trotter? Who was most excited? Who was most nervous amongst your wife, mom and you?

What made you so friendly with CT? What do you have in common? Is it simply a good friendship between a frequent client and a chef? Or is it more personal?

awbrig

awbrig

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all good questions...of course

seared foie gras is my favorite thing in the world, and CT now knows this, everyone at CT knows this :smile: I dont want to say any more until you dine

no we didnt enjoy the foie gras at all that first time...especially since our friend kept alluding to the texture...

we also had some informal shooter desert experiences which i dont like...i like more formal presentations

Edited by awbrig (log)
Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
Posted
perhaps we can tempt suvir to trotter's by asking charlie to serve foie gras with emulsified crack.

Cracks on the surface of a perfectly seared Foie Gras are not a compliment to the cooking skills of a great chef. Hardly something to tempt me Ballast. :shock:

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
Posted
perhaps we can tempt suvir to trotter's by asking charlie to serve foie gras with emulsified crack.

Cracks on the surface of a perfectly seared Foie Gras are not a compliment to the cooking skills of a great chef. Hardly something to tempt me Ballast. :shock:

ballast_regime

ballast_regime

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i think that texture is one of the biggest culprits for a lot of luxury or "weird" ingredients that are spat out by many first-time tasters with disgusted, tongue-blurting rage. i've seen too many people cough up cold foie gras or monkfish liver, various fish roes, offal, and so on.

"Get yourself in trouble."

--Chuck Close

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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I dont want to say any more until you dine

I may never get to dine again at CT. Since you are now renegeging on your kind invitation, I have lost all hope. :sad:

But I am happy to live vicariously in the meantime.. So please share more details. :smile:

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
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i think that texture is one of the biggest culprits for a lot of luxury or "weird" ingredients that are spat out by many first-time tasters with disgusted, tongue-blurting rage.  i've seen too many people cough up cold foie gras or monkfish liver, various fish roes, offal, and so on.

Not true for me. When I had my first bite of Foie Gras, I knew what I was biting into. I also knew I had hardly eaten any other meat before... But I loved how the seared foie gras looked... and so, my first bite of it made me fall in love. I never recovered. The romance has only become more and more serious. And that is actually true for most meats and me now. I love texture and flavor. If both are present in a balanced proportion, I am easily swayed. :smile:

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

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such a good response, suvir, that i thought was seeing double.  :biggrin:

Well actually, you are seeing double. Awbrig plays double to CT. :shock:

Sorry, I was not meant to share that. :rolleyes:

ballast_regime

ballast_regime

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like you, suvir, i have never been bothered by anything that has "weird" textural properties; in fact, it's quite the opposite. i tend to find things that are silken or mushy or what-have-you to be exciting. i remember the first time i ordered foie gras from hudson valley. i played with it for half an hour, as if it were play-dough. imagine my surprise when my ex impatiently reminded me that she was hungry, that i better hurry up and cook it.

"Get yourself in trouble."

--Chuck Close

awbrig

awbrig

Posted
Posted (edited)

Truth: My relationship with Charlie Trotter is and has been both business and pleasure.

Truth: The question i asked him was from the Dummies book - seemingly very unappropriate (sp?) at the time...

Truth: Our Dinnerware is from Charlie Trotters - purchased of course!

Truth: Charlie is very very intelligent and soft spoken - you already knew that - and very very kind. He called my Mother on a Saturday - the night after she dined one night - and talked with her for about 1/2 hour about everything - my Mom tells me - my Mother absolutely loves Charlie...and so do we all... :smile:

Edited by awbrig (log)
Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
Posted
i think that texture is one of the biggest culprits for a lot of luxury or "weird" ingredients that are spat out by many first-time tasters with disgusted, tongue-blurting rage.  i've seen too many people cough up cold foie gras or monkfish liver, various fish roes, offal, and so on.

Liver, kidney and brian can all be very good. In fact again, my first taste of them made me realize how easily I could get addicted to things full of flavor and texture.

But I know many that as you share, would never be able to accept the texture of these "other" ingredients.

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
Posted
Truth:  The question i asked him was from the Dummies book - seemingly very unappriate (sp?) at the time...

For a man with privvy to such fine dining choices, can you not afford yourself some time in a good ole Southern CharmSchool? They would help you with your grammar, spelling and behavioral skills.:rolleyes:

awbrig

awbrig

Posted
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Charlie likes to do his trick where he doesnt tell you about the variety meat until aftery ou finish it and say how good it was, very sneaky...

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran

Posted
Posted
Truth:  Charlie is very very intelligent and soft spoken - you already knew that - and very very kind.  He called my Mother on a Saturday -  the night after she dined  one night - and talked with her for about 1/2 hour about everything - my Mom tells me - my Mother absolutely loves Charlie...and so do we all... :smile:

What did they talk about?

The business or the pleasure part of CT and your relationship? Are both very interesting? Or one more so than the other?

Seriously, that does sound very kind. How often does your mom get to eat at CT? What are her feelings about the food? What are some of her favorite dishes? How much time did it take for her to get used to the food at CT?

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