Charlie Trotter Remembered At Upcoming First Annual Benefit

Charlie Trotter's memory and generosity toward up-and-coming chefs will be honored at the first annual Charlie Trotter Culinary Foundation benefit on November 5, "A Toast to Charlie Trotter," which will be hosted by Emeril Lagasse and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel , and will be located at Venue One in Chicago. Charlie Trotter, a well-known figure in the Chicago culinary community, died suddenly last November, and this event will toast the philanthropic influence he had on the culinary community.

The event will be headed by influential Chicago and national chefs like Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Chicago), David Bouley (Bouley, New York), Graham Elliot (of Master Chef), and Matthias Merges (Yusho, Chicago), who will all be preparing dishes from chef Trotter's repertoire.

"I worked with Charlie for 14 years; he was a visionary in the culinary field and did things that were unorthodox," said chef Matthias Merges. "This event is a way to pay respect to someone who dedicated his life to American cuisine and philanthropic efforts."

The organization which kicked off in January of this year, has raised $50,000 so far for scholarship programs in culinary arts education. Tickets to the reception are on sale for $500 each, and can be purchased here.

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Joanna Fantozzi is an Associate Editor with The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaFantozzi