CHICAGO, Aug 9 — Tastemakers at Bon Appetit magazine have declared Chicago the Restaurant City of the Year for 2017.

To justify their choice, the food magazine compiled a list of 10 reasons why the Windy City deserves the prestigious title this year.

Overall, editors say, Chicago has a way of “generating distinctively personal restaurants,” in a way that rises above falling into “soulless trend cycles.”

Leading the city’s gastronomical rise to the top is Elske, where dessert is elevated to art, and the “Scandi-minimal” menu is clean and contemporary.

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Readers also learn that a suburban food court is worth the 22-mile (35 km) trek outside downtown Chicago for a meal at Korean eatery Hanbun which, come nightfall, throws down white tablecloths to serve a seven-course meal for a single table of six guests.

The dinners have become so popular that the restaurant is booked through until May 2018.

Last year saw the opening of Smyth, a new gastronomic address that shook up the local dining landscape with its eclectic, local produce and multi-course menus.

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Other restaurants that received a nod for helping to crown Chicago the best restaurant city in the US this year include Mexican eatery Mi Tocaya Antojeria; neighborhood restaurants Giant and Lula Café; The Bakery at the Fat Rice; and Paul Kahan’s The Publican family of restaurants, among others.

Chicago follows on the heels of Washington DC, which was proclaimed the restaurant city of the year for 2016.

For the full list visit here. — AFP-Relaxnews