31st Union

Thanks for listening!  big improvements to the wines by the glass!  The food has always been good and it has maintained its high quaility, while ever changing and staying "fresh."  Great job.  this is a model for others in the area.

Great place, great staff, great wine, great food, great owners.

Perhaps the gastropub, Peninsula approach to Italian locandas, American tapas/American izakaya concepts are somehow lost on me, but I walked out somewhat understanding what 31st Union is trying to achieve within their limitations, while can't help feel that what they are doing doesn't quite work for me. Despite the facts, this place is easily a huge hit with the locals who probably aren't terribly into the rest of the culinary landscape that is littered with craptacular ramen, sushi, and mediocre Chinese offerings all around with a little fusion and confusion in between.

On certain days (they are closed on Mondays), you can attempt to waltz in here only to be SOL'd with a packed house, but I was able to score a seat as a walk-in on Tuesday.

The menu layout is fairly simple...appetizers, salumi, cheese, rotating specials of the day, salads, soup, entrees (adequately sized almost Italian style like primi piatti and secondi so you end up ordering multiple courses to fill up), and dessert.

High ceilings, wood walls, and once people start talking the decibel levels skyrocket, much like a typical dim sum restaurant.

Nothing really grabbed me from the menu, not even the pork belly tacos... but seeing cheese and salumi/charcuterie, it seemed like an easy way to ooze into the evening.

Charcuterie: 2 choices for $9, or 4 for $15.

Mortadella, Columbus, SF - pretty good and very tasty pistachio flavors
Nostrano, Fra Mani, Berkeley, indeed having a sweet accent to it

Artisanal Cheese, 3 choices for $15, or 5 for $22

Went with:

Estero Gold, Valley Ford Cheese (cow)
Truffle Tremor, Cypress Grove (sheep)
Carmody, Bellwether Farms (cow)

Cheese and salumi's were boarded separately, with flatbread on the side. The cheese board included a small portion of honey, raw walnuts, green apple slices. Quite decent portion wise....but flavor profiles were not quite my style.

The salumi board was nicely arranged, and included some olives, flatbread, mustard.

It was actually more fun to mix and match things up...or take a piece of cheese with either flatbread or the house supplied Acme, dip of honey with the sheep milk cheese, spread of mustard, a salumi, and eat it all together. The entire packaging was otherwise pleasant....but I think 31st Union could have done more with this...
perhaps sourcing different cheese, and salumi cuts. The no brainer here would be to upgrade to Cowgirl Creamery cheese, and salumi from Boccalone. Or to kick it up a notch, consider investing in additional work to make it more unique, and house curing it (like Osteria Coppa, even though I'm not a fan overall of the food there), versus outsourcing.

The half lemonade half iced tea (aka "Arnold Palmer") drink lacked the crucial black tea flavor, and thus the balance. Not something I would order again.

After those items, I picked the entrée of "meatballs" (the Tuesday dinner special) which came as three sliders with arugula, and a spicy sauce. When this arrived at the table, it lacked presentation and appeared a tad messy. Taste wise was ok, but I would have preferred it to be stewed or simmered/braised in marinara, or if not marinara, a more robust seasoning (salt and pepper would be just fine, with some herbs). At $11, whether this was lamb meatballs or not, just didn't quite hit the spot with me.

The target demographic for 31st Union seems quite apparent.... the young hip Asian American TPump ramen bobahead jive ass roll ice cream dessert eating crowd, probably won't come flocking here and perhaps stay within the confines of Attic for upscale fusion, but the families, Housewives of San Mateo County, and 30 to 40+ somethings, or those on a date who don't mind the occasional beer and wine, might enjoy it here a bit more.

Was able to grab a plate of tacos from their booth while @ San Mateo's Music in the Park.

I had never heard of the place until I saw their tent @ Central Park.... so while I was a little hesitant to order from them, I did so anyways.  The big letters "Locally Sourced" pulled me in.... and I sure am glad.

Shared the tacos with my son and sis.  We loved everything about it.  I can honestly say I have never had a taco taste sooo dayum good.

Hopefully I can try their actual restaurant soon....