Charlie Trotter

Charlie Trotter was an American chef and restaurateur best known for his influential Chicago restaurant Charlie Trotter's, which operated from 1987 to 2012 and helped redefine fine dining in the United States. He was completely self-taught, authored 14 cookbooks, and hosted the 1999 PBS cooking show The Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter. He received nine James Beard Awards, including the 2012 Humanitarian of the Year award, and was widely recognized as a pioneer who elevated American cuisine. Trotter died on November 5, 2013, at the age of 54.