Restaurants in Fairmount

Ryan MacNamara spent his childhood summers on the south New Jersey shore, where he grew to love the philadelphia cheesesteaks he and his family picked up from local delis. The restaurateur adored the sandwiches so much that he opened a shrine to the cheesy treat: Mac’s Philly Steaks. One of his biggest obstacles was finding an authentic roll on which to serve his cheesesteaks; in the end, he decided to import Amoroso’s rolls directly from Philadelphia. To dovetail with the City of Brotherly Love–inspired food, the decor at the Geneva location features red-and-white-checkered flooring, mural depicting urban splendor, and Rocky beating the bread to the right level of softness.

The eatery's menu catalogs classic chicken and steak phillys as well as a few versions with a twist, such as the bacon-blue and chicken finger parmesan. Metromix praised the sandwiches for their soft bread and ideal ratio of toppings, a “generous but manageable” portion.

The chefs at Mitsuba Hibachi Steakhouse & Asian Bistro dazzle the senses with fresh sushi and sashimi, inventive Asian-fusion cuisine, and the fiery theatrics of tableside hibachi cooking. Plates of roasted duck, hawaiian curry shrimp, and fried sea bass blend culinary influences from all over the globe, and noodle dishes of yaki soba, udon, and pad thai deliver the celebrated and complex flavors of Japan and Southeast Asia. A classy, cosmopolitan interior of slate bricks, paper-lantern light fixtures, and glossy varnished wood sets the stage for a visual feast served by the restaurant’s hibachi chefs, who illicit awe as they chop at lightning-fast speeds and perform gasp-inducing fire tricks without singeing away their eyebrows.

Tabatha's Family Tree is aptly named because Tabatha Babbitt and Patricia Personius co-own and operate the restaurant with her family members. In the kitchen the chefs prepare pastas, prime rib, and veal scallopini sautéed with peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms in a red wine sauce. The same careful preparation of their meals in the restaurant goes into their catered events, which can occur on or off their premises.

India Bazaar imports international ingredients for Indian cooking at home and also supplies ready-to-eat dishes for instantaneous consumption. Spices, Indian breads, and fragrant teas lead shoppers or Wolverines by their noses through well-stocked aisles. Indian beauty supplies embellish faces, and cookware helps patrons transform hefty sacks of rice into biryani. India Bazaar accommodates visitors from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week, and as an added bonus, students of Syracuse University can call to request a complimentary shuttle.

McNamara's expands the welcoming charm of its pub-like atmosphere into vast event spaces and a spread of breakfast and dinner fare to enjoy while watching sports or hosting catered gatherings. The in-house kitchen dishes omelettes and sandwiches as the hour of the day dictates, and the newly renovated Dublin Room hosts enormous bashes, seating up to 280 guests with room left to dance or stage a Civil War reenactment.

Dedicated to providing hearty meals at affordable prices for Syracuse's working people, Cosmo's Cafe's owner and his dedicated staff plate ample portions of classic American breakfast and lunch fare. Cosmo documents his culinary adventures online, making evident his passion for cooking and love for the café. Breakfast feasts sizzle in skillets throughout the day, served to-go or at tables under the pleasant glare of the café's hanging plants and richly hued green walls, and lunch-box specials allow diners to pair deli sandwiches with salads or homemade soups. On Fridays, fish sandwiches served with slaw and fries satisfy dietary requirements for cuisine often misconstrued as vegetarian cuisine, preventing diners from having to eat vintage hot rods or the innards of pinball machines.