There has been an explosion of new restaurants in my neighborhood — San Francisco’s Mission District. Among my favorites are a sausage joint and a new vegan Mexican place — which, oddly enough, I think draw a cross-over crowd.

Gracias Madre is the Latin vegan restaurant of a notoriously hippie raw food place called Cafe Gratitude — where each of the plates are named something like “I am plentiful” or “I am whole,” giving the opportunity for an “affirmation” when the food arrives (“You are plentiful,” “You are whole.”) Gracias Madre has kept the communal seating but dropped forced hippie interactions. And the food is incredible. The majority of it is grown at a local farm, and with dishes like mole enchiladas stuffed with mushrooms in the most delicious tangy sauce and served with garlicky kale and beans, it’s hard to not love it. You can also get vegan Mexican hot chocolate, homemade horchata and a huge selection of wines.

On the other side of the neighborhood — and the other side of the spectrum — is Rosamunde Sausage Grill, an order at the counter kind of place that fits right in with the current German food craze. You can sit at Oktoberfest-style long wooden tables, drink pints of beer and choose from a host of delicious sides to go with your sausage. Currently they have only one vegetarian option, which is what I always get, and I hope they’ll add more soon.