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Christian Hunter

@chefchristianhunter

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📍CHI 👉🏿 @hooligan.chicago
Cook | Local Food | Ops Consultant |
Michelin-Awarded | James Beard Finalist
Exploring identity place + purpose through food

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@chefchristianhunter and @tredicjr’s new Logan Square restaurant @hooligan.chicago is an absolute masterpiece — and one of the most brilliant restaurants to open in Chicago this year. Anyone who dined at Atelier in its initial incarnation — when it first earned its @michelinguide star — knows how great Chef Hunter’s food is, and at Hooligan, he finally has the opportunity to show the world his own point of view and to do everything his way. The result is an extraordinary Midwest Neo Bistro serving food that is best described as “French meets Midwest with a Southern Soul.”

It’s hard to truly describe, but when you eat it, you know exactly what this food is and are left in awe at how some of the wildest, most creative flavors in the city work so well together. I’ve complained about a lack of ambition in Chicago this year, but Hooligan is a restaurant with AMBITION and some of the most delicious food around. And let’s not forget the drink menu. The drinks are amazing, too. Somehow, Hooligan straddles the line perfectly between fine dining and a regular restaurant that anyone can understand. While it likely opened too late to qualify for 2026, it would be entirely unsurprising if Hooligan became the rare Michelin-starred à la carte restaurant in Chicago.

One final note: The portions are big, even in the small plates section. Order accordingly, and go with a group if you want to try lots of things. I definitely over-ordered, but no regrets because it was all so good. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Here’s what I had:

1. Amuse-Bouche: Green Gazpacho

2. Breakwater: Oyster-Infused Gin, Gentian, Dry Vermouth, Green Tomato, Bergamot

3. Dressed Oysters: Rutabaga, BBQ Spice, Crisp Potato

4. Perch Boudin: Freshwater Perch, Pork, Gumbo Z’Herbes, Potato Gribiche

5. Poulet Rôti (Half Chicken): Sauce Persillade or Jus, Bistro Salad, Pommes Grand-mère

6. Chocolate Cardamom Sorbet

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TWO WEEKS IN AND THIS DREAM TEAM IS JUST GETTING WARMED UP! 💥🔥 @hooligan.chicago

As seen in today’s @chicagotribune! Thank you to @louisachu1 for your time and energy on this feature (link in bio).

“The meaning behind Hooligan touches on a few things. It speaks to a bit of my own professional career in which I’m a kid from the South. Specifically Kentucky and Tennessee. There weren’t a lot of African American chefs in my time coming up. I was always kind of feeling like a hooligan, like an outcast.” SO Proud of what this team is pouring their hearts into each and every night in Logan Square. Way to show up, Chicago!

Congratulations to @chefchristianhunter @tredicjr @marcusbrewer80 @sirofwells and the entire @hooligan.chicago crew on a stellar launch month, you’re on fire!

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TWO WEEKS IN. AND WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED. 🥂

Chicago, the love has been incredible.

Two weeks into opening Hooligan, and the response has been nothing short of amazing. From the kitchen to the bar, every detail has been intentional.

Proud to be building something special alongside Chef Christian Hunter, bringing his vision to life through an incredible culinary experience while creating a beverage program that stands on its own.

French technique. Midwest soul. Thoughtful cocktails. No shortcuts.

Seeing people connect with the food, embrace the cocktails, and genuinely enjoy what we’ve created is what makes all the long hours worth it.

A huge thank you to everyone who’s walked through our doors, shown love, and supported the vision. And a special thank you to the Chicago Tribune for the recognition.

HOOLIGAN. LOGAN SQUARE. CHICAGO.

The best is yet to come. 🥃

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Sunday Dinner at @hooligan.chicago was something else. I almost put the food in the cover photo but wanted to showcase the team behind the magic. Swipe to see some of what we had and just know every dish was next level. You can’t go wrong with this reservation!! #LoganSquare #ChicagoRestaurants #ChicagoEats #ChicagoFood #SundayDinner

(Not pictured two absolute geniuses in @tredicjr @toine0000 )

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What's on your mind, Chef?

@chefchristianhunter
@hooligan.chicago

#WOYMC
#whatsonyourmindchef

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It’s been about a year since I tasted the first iteration of @hooligan and I’ve been waiting for it to open ever since. Congrats @chefchristianhunter and @tredicjr Good things are worth the wait. Well in this case… @eater_chicago

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Portraits of strangers

#sonya7iii #zeissplanar50mm #streetphotography #portraitphotography

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MEET HOOLIGAN 2.0.

This fall, James Beard Award finalist and 2023 MICHELIN Young Chef Award winner Christian Hunter (@chefchristianhunter) opens the doors to @hooligan.chicago, his first solo restaurant, in Logan Square.

Hooligan is the clearest expression of Christian’s cooking yet. He calls it “Third Coast Contemporary,” a neo-Midwestern bistro with the ingredients and foodways of the Great Lakes running through the menu, grounded in the classic French technique that’s shaped his career.

Here, Great Lakes perch is served with gribiche, while pike quenelle finds its way into petite ravioli with Nantua sauce. Hot water cornbread comes with pimento cheese and chicken liver parfait. For Hooligan’s signature caviar service, Christian is sourcing paddlefish caviar from a producer near the Kentucky-Ohio border, served up with a crispy potato and house-made dip.

“It’s Midwestern as hell, and it’s a perfect example of who we are.”

After opening and leading Atelier to a MICHELIN star within nine months, Christian is moving away from the tasting-menu format for Hooligan. The restaurant will be almost entirely à la carte, bringing the precision of his fine-dining background into a neighborhood restaurant designed to feel…well, fun! Thank you to @haut_in_here and @wttwchicago for your help with a proper re-introduction. (Link in bio)

H2 couldn’t be prouder to work with Chef Christian and the Hooligan team as this special restaurant prepares to open doors in our favorite neighborhood.

Hooligan debuts this fall at 2528 N. California Avenue in Logan Square. Follow @hooligan.chicago for more updates.

📸 @bambiguthriephoto

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Swing by Lardon and MAXX OUT on @chefchristianhunter's Heirloom Tomato banger! ⁠
⁠
TOMATOMAXXING featuring ⁠
@mickklugfarms heirloom tomato, ⁠
house-made pimento cheese,⁠
chive kettle chips,⁠
rustic baguette....⁠
...and, yes, you can add BACON!⁠
⁠
Sales benefit @yeschefcamp

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Last month, StarChefs and Niman Ranch (@nimanranch) gathered Chicago’s industry folk for an afternoon at Perilla Korean American Fare (@perillafare). Chef Andrew Lim (@andrewjlim) and his team made sure nobody left hungry. Drinks flowed on the patio before moving inside for a proper family-style Korean BBQ spread: scallion pancake, bulgogi, spicy kmari pork, chilled kimchi guksu, and a banchan lineup deep enough to cover the table twice over. Lim worked the tabletop grills himself, keeping the Niman ribeye and pork belly moving while conversations carried on around him. Thank you to Chef Andrew Lim and the whole Perilla team for the incredible hospitality, to Niman Ranch for the beautiful product, and to everyone who came out to eat, drink, and celebrate the industry with us.

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Next up in our @yeschefcamp Chef Summer Sandwich Series is Chef CHRISTIAN HUNTER! As he prepares for the opening of @hooligan.chicago 2.0, we've collaborated to celebrate the summer tomato 🍅!

We present: TOMATOMAXXING featuring @mickklugfarms heirloom tomato, house-made pimento cheese & chive kettle chips, all on a rustic baguette. Yes you can also add bacon 🥓 to this bad boy. See you soon!

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The party continued into @cafeyaya_chi and @taaforg party @perillasteak

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