Marcus Samuelsson, according to People magazine. The magazine this week named Samuelsson, the executive chef and co-owner of the upscale Manhattan Swedish restaurant, No. 5 on its first-ever "America’s 100 Most Eligible Bachelors" list.

The Ethiopia-born Samuelsson graces the cover of People’s July 10 edition along with other hunky bachelors, including this year’s hunkiest, George Clooney -- the almost absurdly handsome actor now starring in the blockbuster film "The Perfect Storm."

"I think that people are more and more interested in food in America, and let’s face it, chefs have become celebrities," said People’s New York Bureau Chief, Maria Eftiamades, explaining that including a chef at the top of the list simply reflects what the culture now values. "Marcus is a handsome, articulate, hard working guy," she added.

The 29-year-old Samuelsson’s modern riffs on Swedish cuisine have earned him the praise of critics as well as the 1999 "Rising Star" award from the James Beard Foundation, a non-profit culinary organization based in New York. And now his looks and personality are award winning as well.

"I think it’s a fun thing. You look at all the guys who are in there and the bottom line is that they’re really hard working and successful at what they do. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in there," Samuelsson told StarChefs in a telephone interview.

But, come on, it didn’t hurt his chances that he’s so good looking, did it? "That’s something you can’t do anything about," Samuelsson said about his looks. "You laugh at it. It’s fun. You can’t take things too seriously. What I do here, my job, it’s my No. 1 priority, and everything else, you just take with a ‘pinch of salt,’"

Another winner from the food world on this year’s list was Marco Maccioni, co-owner of the Manhattan restaurant Osteria del Circo. Marco Maccioni is part of the Maccioni family that owns a number of chic spots, including Le Cirque 2000, a Manhattan restaurant with top-notch, four-star status from the New York Times.

Samuelsson and Clooney are in varied company at the top of People’s bachelor’s list. In the No. 2 spot is New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, followed by actor Matt Damon in the No. 3 spot and George P. Bush in the fourth spot. Bush, a paralegal in Los Angeles, is the son of Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the grandson of former U.S. President George Bush.

"The idea behind this is that we wanted these guys to be nice guys," Eftiamades said, noting that besides celebrities the magazine also sought to include relatively unknown people from different walks of life on the new list, from doctors and lawyers to UPS drivers.

People magazine plans to make the list an annual affair, and Eftiamades said it’s likely some of the celebrities may appear again.

"If George Clooney is still single next year, I see no reason why he can’t be on the list again."

-- Oliver Ludwig

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