"Inside La’ Shukran on a summer night, it feels like a dance party might break out at any moment and not end until dawn. The Levantine restaurant in a Union Market alleyway doesn’t play the traditional hits—and is all the better for it. The hummus comes studded with snails, the Maryland crab is served with whipped labne and a grilled bâtard, and the arak list is longer than your arm. The Arab funk music is loud but never overpowering, and provides the perfect soundtrack for a hang with old friends, or a date night underneath a shelf of hookahs." - madeline weinfield