After an alleged freakout last week in which he supposedly threw a group of teen photography students out of his now-shuttered restaurant Charlie Trotter's, chef Charlie Trotter defends himself saying the situation has been blown out of proportion by the media. In an interview with DNAinfo Chicago, the chef says that all he did was ask the students (who were to invited to use the restaurant as a gallery) to "sweep some stuff up. Like, 'Hey let's get this ready.'" He claims that the students' instructor misunderstood him and "was thinking I was trying to take advantage of the students." Trotter denies cursing at a student for not picking up a drink for him from a convenience store, and he also denies suggesting a female student get a "Charlie Trotter's" tattoo saying: "That's not the way I roll." He sums up the situation simply: "I have no agenda here. I'm trying to help these kids ... Next thing you know, I'm in hot water." Trotter doesn't address appearing to be drunk in an interview with a WGN reporter the evening the freakout supposedly took place.
· Charlie Trotter Defends Himself in Art Flap [DNAinfo via Eater Chicago]
· Charlie Trotter Allegedly Boots Teens From His Restaurant [-E-]
· All Charlie Trotter Coverage on Eater [-E-]