Foodies flock to the namesake restaurant of chef Charlie Trotter, Chicago's first celebrity chef. Yes, he's done TV shows and authored a series of cookbooks (with almost impossible-to-follow recipes), but Trotter's focus is this restaurant, a shrine to creative fine dining.

There is no a la carte menu, so this is not the place to come if you're a picky eater. Decide at the outset if you would like the vegetable ($90) or grand ($110) degustation menu. Trotter delights in presenting diners with unfamiliar ingredients and presentations, and prides himself on using only organic or free-range products (so you can feel good about indulging). The very long entree descriptions signal Trotter's attention to detail; sample dishes from a recent menu include ragout of leek confit, braised carrots, salsify, and cauliflower with Perigord black-truffle emulsion; and black buck venison with Japanese kumai (jasmine rice cake and red-wine Kalamata olive emulsion). Be prepared to linger; dinner here can take up to 3 hours. The dining room may be formal, but the staff are not intimidating. The wine list is extensive, and a sommelier is on hand to help match wines with each course. The entire restaurant is nonsmoking.

For a taste of Trotter's gourmet fare without the high price tag, check out Trotter's to Go, his new gourmet food store in Lincoln Park at 1337 W. Fullerton Ave. (tel. 773/868-6510).