When you walk in the doors at San Mateo's 31st Union you'll find yourself in an atmosphere that includes a lot of vintage touches, but is still decidedly modern. Rustic reclaimed wood lines the restaurant's side walls, while gleaming white subway tile covers the back wall. The tables are modeled after old-fashioned trestle benches, while rows of Edison-style light bulbs hang from exposed pipe work above. In other words, this eatery is stylish and unique, which is exactly what regulars like about the place.

The menu changes with the season, so it's possible that you'll find different dishes on offer each time you visit, but for the most part, the kitchen's philosophy is to prepare locally-sourced veggie-heavy dishes that make the most of whatever is being harvested at the moment. Typical offerings include dishes like a fried egg sandwich served on house-made focaccia bread with quinoa and beet salad on the side, or roasted pork belly tacos with shaved cabbage, fennel, and carrots on top.

Public Domain/Pixabay/ponce_photography