Charlie Trotter, whose eponymous Chicago restaurant was considered one of the finest in the world, has died.

The 54-year-old chef was found unconscious and not breathing in his Lincoln Park home this morning and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Trotter was found by his son Dylan at the home in the 1800 block of North Dayton Street and an ambulance was called at 10:45 a.m., according to a family friend and fire officials.

"My baby's gone," Trotter's wife Rochelle told the friend, Carrie Nahabedian.
In a statement released Tuesday night, Rochelle Trotter said: “We are incredibly shocked and deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of Charlie at our home in Lincoln Park.  He was much loved, and words can not describe how much he will be missed.
"Charlie was a trailblazer and introduced people to a new way of dining when he opened Charlie Trotter’s.  His impact upon American cuisine and the culinary world at large will always be remembered."

Steve Kolinski, a neighbor who lives several houses down, said he came outside late this morning and saw six police cars and an ambulance pulled up at Trotter’s home.  Kolinski then saw Trotter’s wife, who ran outside and was “yelling hysterically.’’"We thank you so much for your kind words, love and support," she added.  "We appreciate the respect for our privacy as we work through this difficult time. Details for the memorial service will be forthcoming.”
Trotter was wheeled out on a stretcher and taken away, he said. Trotter’s wife and son then left.
Trotter was pronounced dead at 11:48 a.m. at Northwestern. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, but a source said there was no preliminary indications of foul play.
Trotter burst on the scene in 1987, when the self-taught chef opened Charlie Trotter’s restaurant on Armitage Avenue. In short order, the chef’s intense creativity and never-repeat-a-dish dictum made Trotter’s the most talked-about restaurant in Chicago, and his fame quickly spread throughout the country and beyond.

He was named the country’s Outstanding Chef by James Beard Foundation in 1999; in 2000, Wine Spectator magazine called Trotter’s the best restaurant in the nation. More awards and accolades followed, including a 2002 Beard Award for Outstanding Service; at the time, Trotter called it the award he was most proud to receive, as it represented “a team award.”

The mercurial chef was a stern taskmaster who demanded the absolute best from everyone who worked for him. He was also a man of uncommon generosity, creating the Charlie Trotter Education Foundation to provide scholarships for culinary students. He received the James Beard Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year award in 2012.
Master Sommelier Larry Stone who served as Trotter's Sommelier in the late 80s and early 90s returned to work with him last year to close up his restaurant.

"He was a great inspiration in my life and a fantastic partner," said Stone.

Stone, who is now with the Quintessa Winery in Napa Valley, said Trotter and his family were aware that Trotter had a brain aneurysm and Trotter told Stone that he was resigned to it.

"It was a time bomb and he felt that he didn't have a lot of time left. It was inoperable and it was not something that could be repaired, it was deep inside the brain," Stone said.

As a result of his medical condition he was told by doctors that he should not be flying, should not be in high altitudes and should not exert himself because of the pressure on his brain. A friend of the family said he spoke at the Jackson Hole Culinary Conference Sunday night.

"I think that's why he had to give up the restaurant ultimately, he realized he had to change a few things in his life," said Stone. "He loved the craft so much he didn't want to give it up, it was so very hard for him to give up."

Stone believes that he may have been misunderstood because Trotter was not the type of person to ask for sympathy. He said a number of years ago he went to the Mayo Clinic after he was first having dizzy spells and had collapsed.

"It was obvious he had problems and he had some seizures," Stone said. "It's a condition that had worsened in the last few years but it was something he had for quite a while."

Stone said Trotter didn't let his health get into his way.

"He said, 'When your time comes, it comes.' He didn't dwell on it. I don't think it made him very happy to know that he had a condition that would incapacitate him in some way," said Stone. "He realized there was not much you could do...He never wanted anything to interfere with his craft. He was driven by his love of what he did and a desire to be better and better at it. That's what drove him from the very beginning."