The country’s Second City has been churning out culinary stars — Michelin and otherwise — for the last decade. But over the last few years, Chicago’s Fulton Market enclave — a former food-distribution and meatpacking zone in the city’s West Loop neighborhood — has become a foodie mecca.

Its trendiness (and gentrification) quotient is indubitably on the rise; one surefire marker is that Fulton Market welcomed its first high-end hotel in 2014 (a Soho House, no less).

Here, a list of five hot spots opened in the last year — some of which are already local favorites — to try in the ’hood right now.

The upstairs/downstairs concept here has the kitchen turning out four different reserve-ahead tasting menus of New American fare on the second level, with drinks and more casual a la carte plates for walk-ins (as well as table-booking folks) on the ground floor. Both concepts come from John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, husband-and-wife alums of iconic Chicago eatery Charlie Trotter’s, who have returned to the Windy City after five years in rural Virginia. They’ve brought an agrarian back-to-the-land philosophy with them, and partnered with a local 20-acre family farm to make it a reality. Upstairs, options include Dungeness crab and foie gras or a brioche donut with aged beef au jus; below, think whipped ricotta, pork rinds or crispy chicken thighs.

This side-by-side pairing of eateries sees one of the city’s most established chefs, Rick Bayless, expanding the reach of his south of the border-celebrating empire. At Cruz Blanca, he’s brewing his own beer, making versions of European draughts like those crafted in Mexico City in the 19th century, and serving smoky Oaxaca-style tacos to go with them. Meanwhile, at Leña Brava, he’s producing ceviches and wood-fired cooking of the northern region of Mexico’s Baja California.

The first woman to win “Top Chef,” Stephanie Izard debuted her third Fulton Market spot last spring. Duck Duck Goat honors both China and Chinatown, with cuisine and décor inspired by Izard’s travels through Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Taiwan, as well as ethnic enclaves throughout the US. Design firm AvroKO masterminded the lush, stage-set-like interiors, which evoke the small dining rooms, hidden bars and mom-and-pop storefronts of mid-20th-century Chinatowns. Pro tip: Check out the dim sum Sunday brunch.

Buenos Aires meets Chicago at this Argentine-inspired open-fire cooking joint, which opened last summer in the iconic former Checker Taxi building. Behind the mint-green facade, black tiles, charred-looking wood paneling, black-and-white marble and lush green plants create a sexy-noir Tropicalia atmosphere. The swordfish and Frenchified gnocchi — made with pâte à choux dough of profiterole and éclair fame — were surprising recent standouts among the many meat-centric dishes; all pair well with the creative cocktails and organic wines.

Famous for three-Michelin-star Alinea — which reopened in May after a total redo — and the concept-shifting Next, star chef Grant Achatz launched this casual eatery in the spring. The black-painted dining room, open kitchen and a rock soundtrack handpicked by the chefs set the backdrop for a globe-spanning menu of frequently flame-cooked and fried delights that defies categorization. Dishes range from duck confit and Yukon fries to baked lasagna and fried chicken. Insiders know to book the seats in the basement for a six-course, $95 tasting dinner, largely comprised of off-menu items.