Hobbit Café

Let's be clear: we ordinarily boycott theme restaurants. Our one exception? Hobbit Café. We gladly breeze by the life-sized cut-out of Gandolf near the front door and the other Lord of the Rings memorabilia that pops up around this little establishment and order a Frodo sandwich without flinching. For one thing, this quirky restaurant has been around for over three decades, evoking the mysticism and playfulness of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world long before movie producers figured out how to make millions from it. For another, it promoted vegetarian dishes before vegetarian was cool. It’s located in a little bungalow with a pleasant outdoor patio, friendly staff and delicious, low-key cuisine like an avocado omelet, black bean burger, and spinach and mushroom enchiladas. At Hobbit Café, the real theme is healthy food in a mellow ambiance.

Don't forget to order a smoothie—they're about as delicious as health food gets.