The so-called Gastropod at Epic Ales in SoDo probably won’t win any awards for decor, but what it lacks in frivolity, it makes up for in flavor. Skilled chef Travis Kukull is at the helm of a tiny kitchen, crafting inventive dishes that use ingredients in astounding ways—like the recent spruce-tip chocolate-chip ice cream and the cold watermelon soup with flashes of wasabi and chunks of pickled watermelon rind. The food pairs well with the equally inventive brews from beer mastermind Cody Morris.

3201 First Ave. S., 403-1228, gastropodsodo.com

Read all of our picks for Food & Drink, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.