Bad Hunter
Chicago
Vegetable focused in a meat-lover’s paradise.
A Chicago steakhouse may represent the quintessential power lunch, but one of the hottest new spots in the Windy City is a “veg-forward” eatery with a great name that slyly pokes at its carnivore image. Bad Hunter isn’t against meat—there’s a braised lamb sandwich, and you can add a chicken kebab, sirloin skewer or tandoori shrimp to any salad—but the focus is on vegetables. And what a focus it is: Chef Dan Snowden, inspired by the bounty of Chicago’s farmers’ markets, is offering extraordinary vegetarian fare, from tempura fried lemons and broccoli with fennel pollen aioli, to a hominy aguachile, to a charred-beet French dip sandwich. The city’s real estate execs, cultural leaders and politicos are leaving their porterhouses behind (occasionally, at least) and traveling to the West Loop restaurant in droves.
Contact: 802 W. Randolph St., 312.265.1745, badhunter.com
Cost: $12 to $26 for salads and sandwiches
The Classics: Gibsons, Morton’s (Wacker Place)
