Purple is a Flavor: Chicago Eats

After 25 years, Charlie Trotter is shutting down his namesake restaurant in August, 2012. For 25 years, Charlie Trotter's has been a staple in Chicago's fine dining scene, and I knew that I would have to try it before it shuttered its doors forever. So I found myself here last night, eager to try the 8-course Grand Menu. Our table of 4 also opted to get the non-alcoholic pairings which were generally good, but also too sweet in most cases. There was one beverage pairing that I didn't include in the pictures below due to how offensive it was; the Roasted Pear, Almond & Orange beverage was foamy, warm, thick, and I felt ill after finishing it.

Overall, I'm happy to have tried Trotter's; it is, afterall, a Chicago institution. However, I was a bit surprised about the slow service (8 courses took 4 hours!) and the general feel was that Trotter's has been surpassed by the likes of Grant Achatz and his acclaimed Alinea and Next concepts. It is what it is, I suppose.

The standout dishes: the blue-fin tuna was melt-in-your-mouth fantastic; the lobster was perfectly tender, the way it should be; and the pulled goat shoulder stole away the venison's spotlight in its own dish. My favorite pairing was the plum, lime and mint. It was bubbly, just the right amount of sweet, but could have been a bit colder. Onto the pictures!