Is there a single word meaning "the thing that attracts me"?
The terms attractor or drawer don't feel right:
The attractor for me at this restaurant is their sumptuous ravioli.
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Sign up to join this communityThe allure for me at this restaurant is their sumptuous ravioli.
allure TFD
n.
The power to attract; enticement.
The appeal maybe? "To me, the appeal of this restaurant is their sumptuous ravioli."
From Cambridge Dictionary: "the quality in someone or something that makes him, her, or it attractive or interesting:"
I think you're going for "attraction" which is the noun form of attract. But the sentence is still a little stilted. "Draw" would be nice - "The draw for me at this restaurant is the sumptuous ravioli."
draw
is right. drawer
felt so weird, I knew I was missing something.
May 19, 2019 at 20:02
Enticing? It may be worth using a thesaurus here to get a list of suitable words.
I was enticed to the restaurant by their delicious ravioli.
The word magnet is often used metaphorically, and is probably usually one of the most natural-sounding of the set of synonyms:
magnet noun ...
1.1 A person or thing that has a powerful attraction.
‘the beautiful stretch of white sand is a magnet for sun-worshippers’
{ODO}
However, I'd have to re-arrange OP's example to 'The sumptuous ravioli is a magnet for many people at this restaurant.'
Crowd-puller, main attraction, inducement and lure are synonyms that may work on occasion.
I think "draw card" is probably the closest common phrase. "Drawcard" if you want a single world. Dictionary definition:
a quality or feature that evokes interest or liking; an attraction.
In this case one might say
For me, the draw card of [xyz restaurant] is their sumptuous ravioli.
By itself "draw card" would, in my experience, suggest that people in general would find it attractive, so qualifying it as a "personal draw card" would specify that it's your favourite dish.
If you're looking for a colorful word, you could use also catnip:
Someone or something that is very attractive or appealing to a particular person or group.
e.g. For me, this restaurant's sumptuous ravioli is just catnip.
When there may be more than one thing that is attractive but we want to point out the most attractive thing, we often use main attraction:
The main attraction at Yellowstone Park is Old Faithful. (Oxford US)
The main attraction at Giverny is Monet's garden. (Oxford)
I think that would work well here too:
The main attraction for me at this restaurant is their sumptuous ravioli.
The single word for "the thing that attracts" (as opposed to describing the attraction itself) is:
Attractant
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/attractant
Most examples of this word usage are for the chemical substance produced by insects to attract each other: however it may be used in a general sense also.