Zagat published its Most Exciting Food Cities list for 2017. Where does Denver fall?

Zagat typically rates restaurants, but once a year it also rates cities. In its list of 2017’s Most Exciting Food Cities, Denver ranks fourth.

Topping the list for 2017 is Los Angeles, with Austin and Chicago also placing higher than Denver. Rounding out the top 10 for the year are Seattle, Washington, D.C., Charleston, New Orleans, Atlanta and San Francisco & Bay Area.

Last year, Denver ranked third on the list, so apparently the slew of new restaurant openings and “Top Chef” filming here didn’t help us. If only we’d gotten more poke and frosé … .

“It seems to me that Denver’s evolution into a great food town has been a matter less of growth than of culture,” said Zagat Denver editor Ruth Tobias. “Of course the sheer number of openings over the past several years has been mind-boggling, but it’s the way in which dining is being integrated into innovative neighborhood development — think Stanley Marketplace or Zeppelin Station — that illustrates why we caught the attention of, say, Slow Food and ‘Top Chef.’ “

What do you think? Is fourth too high? Too low? Remember, this list isn’t ranking cities for their overall food scene but rather for what happened food-wise in 2017. Do you agree with Zagat’s evaluation of our food year?

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