If you have a day off, a summer Friday, or a few hours to kill on the weekend, consider heading out to the Rockaways to sample the goods at the concessions stands along the beach. The city rebuilt the stands at Beach 86th, Beach 97th and Beach 106th Streets that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Now, the beach is once again home to fun seasonal restaurants like Rippers, Motorboat and the Big Banana, Rockaway Taco, Caracas Arepa Bar, and Dicosmo's Ices.

Although the owners of Thai Rock are still repairing the damage to the dining room caused by Hurricane Sandy, they recently reopened the restaurant's spacious back deck. This is a fine place to enjoy some spicy Thai food and cocktails on a summer evening, and the deck hosts live music several times each month.

Bunker is one of the biggest dining surprises of the year. This is the new, no-frills Ridgewood Vietnamese restaurant from Eleven Madison Park veteran Jimmy Tu. He originally opened this storefront as a seafood supply company, but after the space was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Tu decided to turn it into a restaurant. The menu includes Vietnamese favorites like banh mi, pho, and banh xeo, as well as dishes that you won't find at many of the city's more popular Vietnamese establishments. In her Hungry City review, Ligaya Mishan notes that Tu is serving "some of the best Vietnamese street-style food in New York." Make sure to try the shrimp chips. Note: The restaurant is not close to any subway trains (the nearest station is in Bushwick), so plan your travel accordingly. [Photo: Facebook]

The owners of Prince Noodle House in Flushing recently transformed the space into a Sichuan restaurant with a menu from Big Sister Zhu, a chef who earned something of a following among the Chinese food aficionados from her stints at food stalls in the area. In a recent positive review on Serious Eats, editor Max Falkowitz wrote: "Lao Cheng Du might be one of those restaurants where you have to order 'right' for best results, but it doesn't seem that hard to get something good." Falkowitz recommends the diced rabbit with red chili sauce and the spicy radish with peanuts and tofu. [Photo: Yelp]

This year-old Long Island City restaurant specializes in dishes from the Chiapas region of Mexico. Standout dishes include the fresh chorizo tacos, the chicken & avocado enchiladas, and the pork shank smothered in earthy mole sauce. And if you just want chips, guac, and margaritas, the space features a long bar up front that's perfect for cocktail sipping and snacking.