Kofta Burger – 2802 James St., Syracuse
A fusion between classic American takeout and Middle Eastern flavors, Kofta Burger opened its doors in the Eastwood neighborhood in February.
Owner and chef Jullen Merrill said the idea for the restaurant came from something he always wanted to try as a fine dining chef.
Merrill previously worked as a chef at local restaurants like Lemongrass and The Craftsman Inn.
“It really just centered around something I’ve always wanted to eat,” Merrill said. “I always leaned toward comfort food like burgers and things like that, but you get tired of the same old lettuce, tomato, onion.”
The Kofta burger — the staple of his menu — is an angus patty seasoned with spices found in Middle Eastern cuisine, such as cumin and coriander, topped with onions tossed with sumac, parsley and garlic sauce.
Some of his other menu items include flank steak and chicken pita, chicken shawarma pizza and fatteh nachos made with flank steak, garlic sauce, tomato and toasted pita chips.
Merrill said he recommends the Kofta burger to first-time visitors.
The Daily Diner - 240 West Seneca St., Manlius
Co-owners Mark Bullis and Nathan Fullmer opened The Daily Diner last month as a place that puts a modern twist on the typical roadside diner.
“The concept is supposed to be a modern version of what I call a Jersey highway diner,” Bullis said. “Fresh, clean and bright with a full liquor license, drinks, brunch and bakery.”
Bullis previously operated Yo! Burrito in the space, but he said when the opportunity to expand into the space next door in addition to what they already had, they rolled the dice with something new.
“We closed a perfectly profitable restaurant, closed it, and reinvented this space into what you’re looking at now,” Bullis said.
They serve alcohol milkshakes, eggs, waffles, bacon and all things brunch, but Bullis recommends trying their sweet cream pancakes.
“If you were sitting here for the first time, I would have you get a blueberry stack of pancakes that are done with our wild Maine blueberry compote,” Bullis said.
He also recommends trying their version of an Aperol spritz, the resting spritz face and any of their egg Benedict dishes.
Salt City Kitchen and Catering - 1205 Erie Blvd. West, Syracuse
Those who frequent the Syracuse food truck scene have likely heard of Baja Cali Taco run by brothers Christopher and Kevin Little. The two recently opened their own brick-and-mortar restaurant called Salt City Kitchen and Catering in the former Patsy’s Pizza location.
“We saw opportunity basically for a place to use as a commissary kitchen and then we thought of the idea of opening up for Tuesdays and Fridays in the winter,” Christopher Little said.
The brothers decided to use the space as a shared kitchen, renting the space to Rodfather’s Barbecue on Wednesdays.
“Our mantra is as fresh as possible,” Christopher Little said. “That’s why we are only open two days a week because of labor costs so we can keep our prices down.”
Once their food truck hits the road starting May 1, they will operate out of the Salt City Kitchen until about 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays then go to their food truck events.
“The concept is to always have a rotating menu. Always serving tacos can become mundane,” Kevin Little said.
While they like to rotate their menu, they will have one staple item always available.
“It would be the chicken wings,” Kevin Little said. “Right now, we have 10 sauces that you can choose from, and we make the blue cheese in house.”
On Fridays, they will feature a fish fry for Lent, and they will be offering pizza. Currently, the brothers are in the soft-launch stage but expect to be fully launched by April.