Dinner and a Vacation

(Froggy Style at Señor Frog’s)

Contrary to what Instagram might lead you to believe, taking a tropical vacation in the middle of February isn’t realistic for everyone. But all you really need is a MetroCard to relieve some of that frigid tension. Slip on your swim trunks (under your long johns, of course) and check out these five restaurants for a brief trip to paradise.

Señor Frog’s

It’s Spring Break in the heart of Times Square at this Mexican chain restaurant founded in 1969. The food—a generic assortment of sandwiches, Tex-Mex, and steaks—is serviceable, and sort of beside the point. Instead, indulge in the ice cream truck parade, Frogasms (tequila, melon liqueur, orange liqueur, and orange juice), and the impromptu conga line. On Sundays, check out the mayhem via Froggy Style, promoter Brandon Voss’s weekly all-you-can-drink drag brunch. Special guests like Lady Bunny and Violet Chachki keep the chaos flowing, with three seatings between noon and 4pm.

Señor Frog’s New York, 11 Times Square (41st/42nd Sts), senorfrogs.com.

Réunion

Surf’s up at this Hell’s Kitchen basement bar named after a French resort island located in the Indian Ocean. The setting’s shabbier than chic though, with laid-back vibes facilitated by the décor: clothes lines strung with bathing suits; a surfboard advertising the selection on draft. Barrel up to the bar constructed out of vintage surfboards and order a frozen Corona, or if you’re going for a hang ten, a pitcher of Tiki Punch (gin, triple sec, lime juice, and Prosecco). Soak up the alcohol with boardwalk-style bar bites like the Dodo Dog, a hot dog with rougail salsa and a slab of pork belly. All day happy hour on Sundays make this tropical getaway particularly affordable.

Réunion, 357 W 44th St (Eighth/Ninth Aves), reunionbar.com.

Onomea

In Hawaiian Onomea roughly translates to “delicious things,” and that’s exactly what this cozy nook in Brooklyn delivers amidst glossy pictures of lava and local beaches. Munch on home-cooked island cuisine like shoyu chicken (marinated with soy sauce and ginger) with a side of Spam fried rice, or dive in head first to poke, cubes of tuna tossed with sesame seeds and green onions commonly eaten on the beach. Wash it down with bottles of Kona Big Wave’s Golden Ale or the Chee Hu, a mango margarita, as music from a Big Island radio station streams in from across the Pacific. It’s enough to make those 5,000 miles seem incredibly close.

Onomea, 84 Havemeyer St (Metropolitan Ave/Hope St), onomeanyc.com.

Glady’s

Per Se alum Michael Jacober lends a masterfully refined touch to humble Caribbean staples like jerk chicken and lamb curry, in a room festooned with plants that literally lend a breath of fresh air. Aquamarine walls evoke the ocean as you sip old classics with an island twist, like the Painkiller (Pusser’s rum, coconut cream, and pineapple) or the Dark N Slushie (Gosling’s black rum, ginger, and lime), concocted by beverage director Shannon Mustipher. Lobster comes grilled over an open fire, leaving smoky traces of a Montego Bay barbeque etched into the juicy meat, and a steady stream of reggae and dance hall will make you glad to stay, even after the complimentary ice cream arrives.

Glady’s, 88 Franklin Ave (Lincoln Pl/St Johns Pl), gladysnyc.com.

Pizza Beach

With locations on the Upper and Lower East Side, the beach is never too far away. Jump in with the Beach Juice, a spiced ginger rum served in a twist-off juice bottle (not unlike those peddled on the Rockaways) spiked with vitamin D, intended to ward off Seasonal Affective Disorder. The chemical reaction only enhances the feeling that you’re sitting in the retro lovechild of Malibu and Brooklyn. Napoleon-style pies are available with vegetable-focused tweaks, like The Zucca, a mélange of kabocha squash, Tuscan kale, sage oil, and smoked mozzarella. Vegan and gluten-free requests are gladly accommodated—because if the vibe is any indication, summer beach bod season is right around the corner.

Pizza Beach, multiple locations, pizzabeachclub.com.