atelier (adlˈyā,əˈtelˌyā), noun. a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer.

Fine Dining Folk Cuisine.

People tend to see Chef Hunter’s menus as having a fair amount of international influence. But for him it’s much more localized. He cooks the way he sees people eat, whether that’s the corner taco joint or the bun stand outside of Joong Boo. Like Folk music, his menus are down to earth, come from the people and reflect the things that brought them to this point and place.

Executive Chef Christian Hunter

Christian Hunter is intrigued by global flavors, sustainable food production, and nutritional anthropology.

He first encountered diverse cuisines in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. As soon as he was earning his own money, he’d spend it checking out the newest restaurants in town from Mexican and Thai to Indian. “It was like I was searching for something,” Hunter recalls. That early childhood exposure all comes to fruition on his plates.

His signature style focuses on infusing New American fare with unexpected global flavors. He adds zing to locally sourced products with chermoula, freekeh, berbere, house-made garam masala, salsa macha, locally made miso, and many more.

Hunter has a culinary degree from Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York and has cooked at Relais & Châteaux’s Lake Placid Lodge and The Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island. He spent four years in Charleston cultivating relationships with local farmers and also his own culinary identity, emphasizing global flavors. He joined Community Table in Litchfield, Connecticut during the challenging year of 2020. Chef used the time to familiarize himself with area farms and shape the culinary direction of the restaurant.

The Chef also brings his Southern heritage to Atelier. Coming from a humble background, he strives to get the most out of everything he brings into the kitchen. Hunter also wants to illuminate the ability of African American chefs to cook amazing food of any cuisine or genre. 

Chef Hunter was named as a finalist for the James Beard Best Chef: Northeast in 2023. Later in the year he received the Young Chef Award from the Michelin Guide, earning the restaurant a star from the Guide as well.