What Chicago's official smell should be

Zoom in: Surely there's a fragrance that could define our city, so we put Axios readers to the test. Dozens sent in suggestions for Chicago's signature smell, which we narrowed down for a vote.

The nominees

The Lake: Many chose the Lake Michigan breeze, while others went more negative and nominated rotting fish.

Breweries/beer: Chicago has birthed several breweries over the years, including Goose Island, but some chose this scent based on the musty vibes of taverns and bars.

Garrett Popcorn: Our signature fragrance of cheese, caramel and corn perfumes locations downtown and around the world.

Meat: We're just going to make meat the category, but it encompasses several nominations for sausages, hot dogs and Italian beef.

Onions: This fits the city's namesake, which means "wild onion," but also the delicious grilled onions on top of a Maxwell Street Polish.

Bread: A salute to Turano, Gonnella, S. Rosen's and several artisan shops that delight the city's nostrils.

Chocolate: This aroma from Blommer Chocolate factory in River North could be one of the best parts of taking a downtown walk on a windy day.

Exhaust: Chicago ranked 5th in the nation for time spent in traffic last year, so no wonder this odor ranked high on your list.

The winner

Our poll to select Chicago's signature smell got over 2,700 responses. The winner: Lake Michigan!

The big picture: Lake Michigan has all the smells, good and bad.

• It was neck and neck until the final day, where Lake Michigan got a substantial push to win (hey, it's Chicago).

What's next: We are going to take this highly scientific poll to Chicago's City Council to see what kind of proclamation can be had. We demand an official scent!