It’s such a part of US entertainment history that American’s usually look at people like they’ve got two heads when they break the news that they’ve never seen Gilligan’s Island. Honestly, can you remember a single stateside series that hasn’t referenced back to the sit-com at some point? To cut a 98-episode story short, a group of oddballs get shipwrecked on a desert island, and hijinks ensue, which explains the nautical theme of New York pop-up bar Gilligan’s at the Soho Grand Hotel. Yes, there was a point to that preamble after all.
You have to admire the Grand’s commitment – not only is there every piece of sailing based kitsch imaginable strewn around this fun getaway in the heart of the city, they even reeled in chef Gary King from Moby Dick’s in Montauk to put together the menu. The numbered buoys are part of the meal ordering system, just one of the enjoyably informal aspects at the laid-back Gilligan’s, which is slated to remain open until the end of September. With city temperatures on the rise and the Hamptons a bit of a stretch in more ways than one, set sail for Manhattan instead, but do try not to get too wrecked on the cocktails…