The space that had been home to a string of failed restaurants got a thorough revamp by downtown resident Jonathan Renert. He installed sliding doors (that open up in nice weather), removed an overhang looming by the main door and banquettes that divided the room, and added wood paneling, subway tile, beer taps, and paintings by Clifford Bailey. The name “Union” was chosen because Renert wants the restaurant to appeal to different groups—families, after-work folks, couples—and because the menu roams from New England (clam chowder) to Mexico (guacamole and chips, fish tacos) to France (moules marineiere) to Japan (hamachi tartare, panko-fried oysters, Japanese-style fried chicken), along with a number of all-American staples. It’s a neighborhood restaurant in a neighborhood that needed one.

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