A biography for Charlie Trotterhasn’t been written yet.
“It's a lot harder to get people to 'ooh' and 'aah' over beets and carrots than it is to get them to 'ooh' and 'aah' over artichokes or asparagus, and I enjoy being able to take these humble, 'lowbrow' foodstuffs up a few notches and serve them with great exuberance.”
“When I graduated I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn't want a conventional career.”
“I'm really not that comfortable with people. I mean, I love individuals, but I'm not very social.”
“My fantasy is to have a restaurant where there are no written menus, but where you just ask people, 'What are you in the mood for? Fish? Meat? White wine?'”
“The body cannot produce enzymes in perfect combinations to metabolize your foods as completely as the food enzymes created by nature do. This results in partially digested fats, proteins, and starches that can clog your body's intestinal tract and arteries.”
“I took the obligatory economics classes in school, but I've long been a fan of the Milton Friedman philosophy and its libertarian bent: One must be free to do what one wants to do, as long as you don't harm another. This is the seminal treatise on free-market economics.”
“As tough as I've been on anybody, as hard as I've ever been on anybody, I have been harder on myself. By far.”
“I don't ever want to lose that mind-set where you've got to be able to realize different ideas-slash-fantasies-slash-possibilities in your life.”
“All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambience. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level.”
“One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.”
“If people give me a year or two of their best effort, then I am their friend for life.”
“I never considered Miles Davis a perfectionist; I always considered him as an excellence-ist, where deviation is actually kind of cool.”
“My father was a successful entrepreneur.”
“I believe in focusing on details.”
“To me, searching for perfection isn't anywhere near as interesting as trying to find your own voice.”
“You've got to give away what you love.”
“In a time when it is common for chefs to simply reproduce the innovations of others, the few who speak for themselves through their food become the skilled artists of their time.”
“I wasn't using college as a stepping stone to law school or some other career. I just wanted a liberal-arts education.”
“You know the old adage that the customer's always right? Well, I kind of think that the opposite is true. The customer is rarely right.”
“The idea that you have to pursue greatness... it's up to you; it's your life.”