"Sit under a canopy of fake leaves and dip some freshly baked pita in labne and hummus at Al Badawi on the Upper East Side. The Palestinian restaurant, with another location in Brooklyn Heights, is spacious and casual, with plenty of entrees big enough to share, like kebabs, branzino, and roasted lamb served on a potpourri-like pile of rice, almonds, and herbs. You can only book for groups of up to six online, but if you have a larger party, you can easily make a reservation over the phone, no prix-fixe required." - bryan kim, willa moore