Delectica, New York

One thing has kept Delectica's restaurant and catering business going strong for more than 15 years: its dedication to freshness. Along with brewing specialty coffee and squeezing apple, orange, and vegetable juices themselves, the chefs hand-select healthy Middle Eastern ingredients to create each dish from scratch. Their signature Israeli breakfast, for example, combines two eggs with accoutrements including chopped Israeli salad, assorted cheeses, and—as New York magazine's Kate Appleton put it—"a just-soft-enough hunk of avocado." The eatery also blends healthy smoothies and stuffs gourmet lunch sandwiches with Mediterranean ingredients such as prosciutto di parma and fresh mozzarella.

And the food isn't the only thing that's refreshing. Appleton calls the plant-lined outdoor seating area at the Third Avenue café "one of the most peaceful spots to be found in Murray Hill." The newer Madison Avenue location is a cozy haven where diners can make selections at the glass-enclosed counter.