"Archipelago is the best restaurant in the south end. This 12-seat billboard for the Pacific Northwest is a tasting menu spot, made up of 9-12 courses inspired by the owners’ Filipino heritage. Every incredible plate of food involves ingredients exclusively sourced from the PNW—that includes cracked wheat pandesal roll with truffle butter you’ll have at the beginning and the sweet cedar plank suman (rice cake) with hazelnut pumpkin ice cream that occasionally caps things off. You’ll walk away feeling like there’s nowhere else in the world you could have a meal like this. Keep an eye on Archipelago’s Instagram, where they’ll announce when the next two months of reservations will open up. Take advantage of the waitlist as well, and get comfy with the idea of booking alone if you want to get in as quickly as possible. And if you know a leader in your community who deserves to eat here on the house, you can nominate them—Archipelago gives away seats to folks worthy of celebration, while prioritizing those who might struggle financially." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley