By Jessica Skeldon

Not a day goes by, it seems, without nutritionists discovering another allergen, one that affects behavior, outlook and overall general health. While area grocery stores seem slow to stock alternative health products, for more than two decades Natur-Tyme, 5898 Bridge St., East Syracuse (488-6300), has identified and helped clients with their dietary needs quicker than you can say celiac.

By Michael K. Thomas

Can it be considered a neighborhood caféif half your clientele is from another town? Walter Babla, owner ofWalter’s Café, 7076 Cedar Bay Road, Fayetteville, was posed with thatquestion when on top of menu orders, several regulars making the tripfrom the town of Manlius would request that he open another diner intheir neck of the woods. His customers suggested a building that was upfor sale and seemingly made to order; the venue last housed Carma’s atthe Market Place, located within the Manlius Marketplace, 4500 PewterLane. 

By Michael K. Thomas

Can it be considered a neighborhood café if half your clientele is from another town? Walter Babla, owner of Walter’s Café, 7076 Cedar Bay Road, Fayetteville, was posed with that question when on top of menu orders, several regulars making the trip from the town of Manlius would request that he open another diner in their neck of the woods. His customers suggested a building that was up for sale and seemingly made to order; the venue last housed Carma’s at the Market Place, located within the Manlius Marketplace, 4500 Pewter Lane. 

By Tom Kahley

For two days, thousands of people will be strutting around downtown Syracuse with their noses in the air. Applying regional physics, we can assume pomposity is not the gravitational pull behind this mass tilt of the cranium axis. No, their heads will indeed be cocked back with nostrils twitching and sniffing, trying to distinguish which vendor is emanating any of the many culinary aphrodisiacs during the eighth annual Taste of Syracuse. The event takes place Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., in and around Clinton Square.                      

Go bonkers over the taste of wood by adding it to your barbecue

By Tom Kahley

You won’t find any meat at Mohegan Manor’s monthly vegan dinners

By Nathan Turk

The addition of a farmers’ market on Tuesday nights at the Central New York Regional Market Authority, 2100 Park St., gives people one more chance to get a taste of Central New York’s homegrown. Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the Regional Market Authority decided to give back to the community that facilitated its longevity by tacking on another farmers’ market to go with the one running on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Tuesday shindig, however, will run from 4 to 8 p.m.

Thinking about remodeling or shuffling things around in your kitchen but don’t know where to start? Then head down to the Westcott Community Center (WCC), 826 Euclid Ave, for the inaugural Westcott Kitchen Tour on Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Journey and bear witness to a smorgasbord of kitchens throughout the diverse Westcott neighborhood. Contractors and suppliers will be on hand at the WCC in case you’re anxious to get your project under way immediately.

The folks at the Valley-area Green Hills Grocery Store, 5933 S. Salina St., have decided to ride the eco-friendly train. Reusable bags, on sale for 99 cents, should help cut down the number of paper and plastic receptacles that will more than likely be headed for the landfill after one use. But there’s one catch to the bags: Not only do they have substance, they’re kind of chic, too.

Fruit from Edible Arrangements provides a tasty alternative to flowers for Mother’s Day

By Kevin Corbett

As Mother’s Day approaches, dutiful offspring may find themselves stumped in choosing a thoughtful gift that shows Mom the requisite love and appreciation with a touch of creativity. If the choice comes down to a colorful, fragrant and artistic arrangement of nature’s finest specimens, flowers are great, but there’s now another option in Central New York.