SavorCuse: more than a food account

Julia Freeman, creator behind @Savorcuse, spills her thoughts on Syracuse’s food scene, tells all about her hit events, and ranks her favorite restaurant picks.

By Katie Hopsicker

Photos courtesy of Julia Freeman

Julia Freeman takes a sip of her Cafe Kubal matcha latte and picks up her phone. As she scrolls through Instagram, her eyes light up as she shows me her screen. The feed looks like a checkerboard full of food. But this food is special, because it’s all from Syracuse. 

She lands on a picture. “My favorite spot is Hope Cafe,” she said. From French toast lattes, to garlic ciabatta paninis, to Peruvian roasted red pepper sauce, Freeman said that the cafe’s distinct cuisine helped inspire her mission behind her Instagram account, @SavorCuse. 

“I want to keep trying things I would have never thought of or discovered yet,” she said.

Freeman started SavorCuse last April, after her husband encouraged her to find a permanent home for her food photos. Growing up in the surrounding Syracuse area, she said they are passionate about trying new things in the area. The pair began walking to a new food spot every Friday for lunch, and Freeman said she began to enjoy highlighting small businesses on her social media.

The account grew to almost 3,000 followers in just over a year, featuring hundreds of restaurants and eateries throughout the CNY region. Freeman described her account as a “side hustle,” and tries to vary her posts by using a content calendar. By advertising a diverse range of cuisine, price, and atmosphere, she hopes that her account can feel accessible to people all around the Syracuse area.

This past March, Freeman utilized her brand and reach to host Upstate Eats, a sampling event at McCarty Mercantile. The event not only featured access to the shops in the Mercantile, but also $1 samples from over twelve local vendors, live music, and giveaways.

“With all the hard work and all the time that I put into [the event], and all the connections I’ve made [through SavorCuse], it kind of validated that I was on the right track, that I was able to help small businesses,” she said. “It’s a tight knit community.”

Freeman said she wants to be more hands on than only being behind the screen, and she really enjoys throwing events. Next, she’ll be collaborating with Three Lives Bar and Sweet on Chocolate to throw “Wonka Wednesday,” an event featuring Willy Wonka-inspired cocktails and chocolate pairings. Freeman said that the uniqueness of spots like Three Lives Bar help draw people downtown: “you can get any type of cuisine at this point,” she said.

Overall, Freeman wants SavorCuse to inspire locals to expand their palettes and get adventurous in their culinary choices. 

“Food overlaps with events, family, friends, shopping - it’s kind of a central part of your life. You might as well enjoy the most out of it,” she said. “So I am just trying to keep sampling my way through Syracuse, to find all the great food that we have to offer.”

SavorCuse’s Top Picks for CNY Foodies

For Happy Hour & Drinks

1. Strigo Vineyards

2. Three Lives Bar

3. The York

4. Gilded Club

5. Peacock Bar & Grill

6. The Brasserie Bar & Bistro

7. Modern Malt

For a Good Meal

1. Loded

2. 3-1-Fried

3. Good Time Sushi

4. Jamaica Cuse

5. Oompa Loompyas

6. XO Taco

7. Vietnamese Noodle House

8. Aloha

9. Red Chili

10. Pita Dream

For Special Occasions

1. Eden

2. Kasai Ramen

3. Oh My Darling

4. Rosalie’s Cucina

5. Pastabilities

6. 317 at Montgomery 

7. Grotto

For Outdoor Seating

1. The Preserve at 405

2. Salt City Market

3. Crazy Daisies

4. The Craftsman Wood Grille & Tap House

For Dessert

1. Sweet on Chocolate

2. Sugar Blossom Cake Shop

3. Cake Bar

4. Honeycomb Bakery

5. Gannon’s Ice Cream

For a Cafe

1. Hope Cafe and Tea

2. Darwin

3. Epicuse

4. Biscotti Cafe

5. Baga Bowls

6. Original Grain