In the 2000s, culinary bad boy, chef Charlie Trotter, was the toast of Chicago, his eponymous restaurant one of the world’s top fine-dining destinations. Unviersity of Wisconsin-Madison alumni and gastronomic revolutionary, Trotter paved the way for the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay, yet his tempestuous, competitive nature alienated many. With never-before-seen archival material and new interviews with those who loved and loathed Trotter—who died from a stroke in 2013 at age 54—this absorbing, unvarnished profile chronicles the passions of a master chef and the consequences of pursuing perfection at all costs.

Angelina Mico

Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter

Renee Frigo

Emeril Lagasse

Rebecca Halpern

Grant Achatz

Wolfgang Puck

Gabriel Britz

Brian Reitzell

Will Basanta

Daniel Algarin

Rod Hassler

In the 2000s, chef Charlie Trotter was the toast of Chicago, his eponymous restaurant one of the world’s top fine-dining destinations. A gastronomic revolutionary and a culinary bad-boy, Trotter paved the way for the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay, yet his tempestuous, competitive nature alienated many. With never-before-seen archival material and new interviews with those who loved and loathed Trotter—who died from a stroke in 2013 at age 54—this absorbing, unvarnished profile chronicles the passions of a master chef and the consequences of pursuing perfection at all costs.

Documentary