Phoebe's Restaurant & Coffee Lounge•Syracuse, NY

Contemporary American•$30 and under

Originally known as Phoebe's Garden Café, the restaurant has a long and colorful history in Syracuse. Local lore claims that the building was originally a brothel, and Phoebe was its madam. In the summer of 2004, Phoebe's experienced a refreshing makeover with a bright new look in the atrium dining room with fresh paint, new upholstery, and artwork. The coffee lounge also opened that year, and it became an instant hit with the surrounding university and business crowd. Those changes also warranted a new name to reflect the updated attitude and ambiance: Phoebe's Restaurant and Coffee Lounge. Classic elements of Phoebe's remain untouched—the French onion soup and enticing crème brulee, for example, but other menu items change seasonally. The Lounge also has its own seating area and free wireless internet capabilities. Phoebe's old world charm is right at home in a revitalized area of the city.