Meet Chicago’s only Black Michelin-star chef

by Amber Gibson / The Tribe / April 25, 2024

He moved to Chicago a little more than a year ago, but chef Christian Hunter has taken the city by storm, earning a Michelin star for his restaurant Atelier, receiving the Young Chef Award from the Michelin Guide along with a James Beard semi-finalist nomination, and being named one of Chicago Magazine’s best new restaurants. Hunter is currently the only Black chef in Chicago with a Michelin star, and one of only two Black chefs in the country with the honor.
 
Hunter grew up in Lexington, Kentucky with six siblings and a single mother, whose work ethic he inherited.
 
“I grew up around traditional Southern food,” he says. “My mother, grandfather and great aunt were all amazing home cooks. And because Lexington is a pretty diverse place, I was exposed to a lot of cuisines that I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to.” Read More Here