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

Bursting onto the Chicago fine-dining scene in 1987, Charlie Trotter's restaurant soon became a local icon and eventually a national landmark. From his initial rise to culinary stardom to his untimely death in November 2013, Charlie Trotter was one of Chicago's most distinguished and high-profile chefs.

Trotter, more than any of his peers, ushered in a new type of dining experience—the "New American" gourmet cuisine that has proliferated across the country—by never offering the same menu…