Syracuse, N.Y. — Over the weekend, Travel & Leisure magazine named Syracuse “the most charming and underrated city in New York.”

“Gee, thanks,” this local said, nodding politely and then rolling my eyes.

Yes, Syracuse is charming. Yes, you can’t call yourself a local until you’ve dunked a piece of stretch bread into that hot tomato oil at Pastabilities. And yes, you will get the best Guinness outside of Dublin at Kitty Hoynes. But if you think the city’s soul lives only in Armory Square and Tipp Hill, let’s grab a salt potato and go for a walk.

Travel & Leisure’s story wasn’t wrong. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Pastabilities, Tipp Hill and Armory Square are all fine choices. A little too obvious, don’t ya think? But you don’t really know Syracuse until you’ve worn a little wing sauce from Shifty’s on your sleeve.

Or … until you’ve stood in line for hot Italian bread at Columbus Bakery on Christmas Eve.

Or … until you’ve experienced Riley’s annual Testicle Festival and told your out-of-town friends about it with a straight face.

Or … until you’ve hoisted a pitcher on Green Beer Sunday at Coleman’s surrounded by more people than live in Tipp Hill.

Or … until you’ve demolished a Power Play Burger from Ale ’n’ Angus before a Crunch game at the Dome’s smaller, colder cousin.

That’s the real Syracuse, the one that doesn’t need a national travel writer to tell us we’ve got charm.

Here’s what that magazine missed: seven real hidden gems of Central New York, the ones locals actually brag about.

Eden: The most grown-up fire in town

When out-of-towners think “downtown dining,” they picture red-sauce comfort. Locals think smoke and sizzle. Everything at Eden is cooked over a wood-fired grill, using seasonal ingredients from nearby farms. The menu changes weekly, the cocktails are just as thoughtful, and the whole place smells like ambition.

It’s so good that it recently earned an Award of Excellence from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNA), one of the industry’s top honors. Wine Spectator named it among best restaurants in the world for wine for the past three years.

Hidden-Gem Move: Sit at the chef’s counter, otherwise known as the bar. Order whatever’s kissing the flames that night.

Inka’s: Peru goes downtown

Slip into Inka’s, this city’s bold Peruvian newcomer, and you’ll feel it the moment you walk in. Whether you’re on a date or grabbing a serious meal with friends, this one hits. The décor alone quietly declares “we’re here for flavor, not fluff.” But then the fusion dishes and pisco cocktails back it up. They’re bright, balanced and just different enough to make you pause mid-conversation. It’s another sign that downtown Syracuse’s dining scene keeps evolving.

Hidden-Gem Move: Start with the Ceviche Mixto Al Rocoto, then go whole hog on the Arroz con Pollo. Be sure to save room for the Suspiro Caliente.

Noble Cellar: Dinner with a secret history

In a basement that once hid freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad sits Noble Cellar, a restaurant that pairs fine dining with conscience. It’s elegant but unpretentious, the wine list reads like poetry, and every course feels like a quiet story told well.

Noble also won a DiRōNA this year, an award no restaurant in Buffalo or Rochester has earned.

Hidden-Gem Move: Ask for a pairing flight. They’ll pour something you’ve never heard of (and will Google before dessert).

Salt City Market: The world in one food hall

Travel & Leisure casually mentioned it, but they made it sound like a mall. In reality, Salt City Market is Syracuse’s cultural crossroads: Iraqi shawarma, Vietnamese sandwiches, Jamaican jerk and soul food. All under one roof. Every stall has a story. Every cook has a dream.

Hidden-Gem Move: Make it a progressive dinner. Start with cocktails at the Salt City Bar, a savory pastry at Sinbun, Curry Coup d’état at Mamma Hai, tacos at Ellarae’s, and finish with dessert from Cake Bar.

The Diners of CNY: Where breakfast is an art form

Forget brunch. Syracuse is a breakfast town.

Start at Mother’s Cupboard, that tiny James Street shack where one pancake could double as a sled. Then work your way through the chrome at The Gem Diner, the all-day comfort of B’ville Diner, and the no-nonsense oversized plates at Finally Ours and, if you’re looking for upscale, head west to At Long Last for the Crème Brûlée French Toast.

We don’t do avocado toast. We do bacon, bottomless coffee and regulars who know your order before you sit down.

Hidden-Gem Move: Hit any counter before 8 a.m. and you’ll get a seat, a story and the best home fries in the state.

The Pizza Underground

Our pizza scene could go slice-to-slice with any in the Northeast.

Apizza Regionale turns dough into art with Calabrian-honey pies. Mario & Salvo’s nails the thin-crust chew and serves an award-winning Grandma’s Pizza that isn’t even on the menu. Pavone’s and Pepino’s keep it old-school, while Twin Trees is Syracuse’s own true local brand.

Hidden-Gem Move: Try the “patata” pie at Apizza Regionale (potatoes, onions, aged gouda). Syracuse comfort disguised as fine dining. Be sure to wash it down with a negroni.

Wings of Glory: The true upstate finger food

Forget Buffalo. Syracuse runs on chicken wings, and the best ones never make glossy travel lists.

At Swallow’s, the sauceless wings coated with salt and pepper is finger-lick proof that bar food can be sacred. Shifty’s Frankenstein wings are crispy, saucy and best chased with live music. And Change of Pace, hidden along Grant Boulevard, might serve the most under-appreciated wings in the state: perfectly fried, perfectly coated, perfectly gone in six minutes. Pizza Cutters, a relatively newcomer to our wing scene, just took home top honors at the national wing festival in … you guessed it … Buffalo.

Hidden-Gem Move: At Swallows, you go in the back door off the parking lot. Order a basket of fries (only $3) and munch those while the wings cool. Talk about a pleasant punch in the gut!

The soundtrack of the city

When Travel & Leisure listed our entertainment scene, they went with the Arts and Crafts Festival, the NY State Fair and the Taste of Syracuse. Respectfully… cute. Those are fun, but they aren’t the whole picture.

This city knows how to throw a free party, and the Syracuse International Jazz Fest proves it every summer in Clinton Square. Each year, it brings in national acts like Aretha Franklin, Trombone Shorty, Gladys Knight and Ray Charles alongside student bands and rising stars.

Hidden-Gem Move: Show up early with a lawn chair and let the live music soundtrack a downtown summer evening.

Syracuse, unfiltered

Travel & Leisure wasn’t wrong; it just skimmed the surface. Syracuse’s charm doesn’t live in press releases or boutique-hotel lobbies. It’s in the clang of a diner flattop, the hiss of a wood fire, the emerald blotch on your jacket from Green Beer Sunday and the moment a stranger slides you a stack of napkins at the local wing spot and says, “You’ll need this.”