$40 a Day

Why should Rachael Ray have all the fun?

The Food Network host peeks in the cupboards of celebrities (Inside Dish), makes yummy 30 Minute Meals and travels the world on $40 a Day, digging up delicious eats at an excellent value wherever she goes. Hitting the town like a tourist and chowing down in the Salt City on $40 a day isn't as challenging as it would be in, say, New York City, where making two $20s last until dinner could be a stretch.

Here, you can have a breakfast of champions (and walk it off along the Connective Corridor), an elegant lunch and mid-afternoon chocolate pick-me-up in Armory Square and dinner with international flair on the SU Hill, including tax and tips, for less than $40.

Fifty-five cents less, to be exact.

Breakfast: Lucky Moon Cafe
This breakfast, lunch and early supper spot is a relaxing oasis on East Genesee Street, close to Syracuse Stage and a few doors away from the Park View Hotel. In the morning, you can have something as simple as a cup of coffee or tea and a piece of homemade coffee cake or fuel up with the Lucky Moon omelet special: a three-egg omelet with your choice of three fillings (such as peppers, mushrooms and cheese), a side of bacon, sausage or ham, two pieces of toast and a mug of coffee for $7.95, plus tax. Co-owner Roxanne Thomas manned the stove, poured coffee and offered conversation. She says weekend regulars often add home fries to the omelet special for a complete breakfast of champions.

Total $9.84 ($8.59 plus $1.25 for the tip jar)
Details: Lucky Moon Cafe, 719 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, 423-8894

Remaining: $30.16

Lunch: bc restaurant, Armory Square
Armory Square is one of the hottest spots in Syracuse. It has bars, coffee joints and plenty of places to eat. One of the chicest (and priciest) of the restaurants is bc, which could stand for beautiful cuisine but instead takes its name from chef-owner Bill Collins. Lunch at bc is all about presentation, just like dinner, but not as expensive. Dining solo? Take a seat at the bar. Bartender Ivan doubled as waiter. He folded a crisp white napkin in a triangle, laid it on the marble bar, poured water and brought a basket of homemade bread with olive oil for dipping and a small dish of shaved Parmesan. A lunch of two appetizers ($4 each) was served one course at a time: a salad of vine-ripened yellow tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes and a sweet balsamic vinegar dressing, followed by a crispy crab cake on a bed of matchstick jicama and pineapple with a zippy Asian-style dressing.

Total $10.64 ($8.64 plus $2 tip)
Details: bc restaurant, 247 W. Fayette St., Syracuse, 701-0636; www.bcrestaurant.com

Remaining: $19.52

Extra:
A light lunch leaves room for a bite of dark chocolate almond bark ($2.33 for a small chunk), sold by the pound at Sweet on Chocolate, 208 Walton St., Syracuse, 478-0811

Remaining: $17.19

Dinner: appeThaizing, SU Hill
Campus cuisine means pizza and wings, subs, wraps, sandwiches and other grab-and-go fare. Around Syracuse University, it also means ethnic diversity, including Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Korean. Add Thai to the list with appeThaizing, a casual Thai restaurant opened this spring by Kris Ratanaphan, who is also the chef. It's a good place to wow your taste buds with the world of herbs and spices used in Thai cooking. For dinner, start with a mixed greens salad with tomatoes and red onions, tossed with the house peanut dressing ($3.29) and graduate to something with zing, such as the red curry with chicken ($9.99). The heat of the curry, made with chili peppers, basil and other spices, is offset by the sweet and creamy note of coconut milk. Depending on your appetite, you'll leave with lunch for the next day.

Total $16.64 ($14.34 plus $2.30 tip)

Details: appeThaizing, 727 S. Crouse Ave. (Campus Plaza),
Syracuse, 295-2200; www.appethaizing.com

Remaining: 55 cents