Best winter bar food

The Ainsworth
There’s a sea of TVs at this sporty Chelsea gastropub, where dudes down domestic beers and football-game bites like the “carnivore” pizza (sausage, salami, etc.; $14) and flaky mini hot dogs (a dozen for $12). 122 W 26th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-741-0646, ainsworthnyc.com)
Best winter fuel: Mini hot dogs
Feeds: Two
Replaces: Afternoon snack

Pony Bar
Insulate your insides with this craft-beer haven’s heavenly flesh: the moist roast “beast” sandwich ($9) and a hearty sirloin stew ($9) flavored with draft porter. 637 Tenth Ave at 45th St (212-586-2707, theponybar.com)
Best winter fuel: Porter stew
Feeds: One
Replaces: A full day of food

Brooklyn Bowl
Shake off cabin fever with a round of bowling and plenty of greasy Blue Ribbon grub, namely the weighty plates of Old Bay–seasoned fried chicken (half-chicken dinner $15–$19, eight mixed pieces $22). 61 Wythe Ave between North 11th and 12th Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-963-3369, brooklynbowl.com)
Best winter fuel: Fried chicken eight-piece platter
Feeds: Three
Replaces: Dinner

Sweet Afton
At Astoria’s hip neighborhood tavern, you can build a layer of blubber with locally sourced eats like a Pat LaFrieda burger ($8) that took six months to perfect, and deep-fried, beer-battered McClure’s Pickles ($4) from Brooklyn. 30-09 34th St at 30th Ave, Astoria, Queens (718-777-2570, sweetaftonbar.com)
Best winter fuel: Fried pickles
Feeds: Two
Replaces: Evening snack

The Vanderbilt
Though the concept behind Saul Bolton’s buzzy eatery is small plates, the flavors are big and sustaining, especially the tender slices of hanger steak served with potatoes confited in duck fat ($16), and the homemade beef jerky ($6). 570 Vanderbilt Ave at Bergen St, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-623-0570, thevanderbiltnyc.com)
Best winter fuel: Hanger steak
Feeds: One
Replaces: Dinner

Fort Defiance
Vintage cocktails (try the rum-driven Barbados Buck, $8) will warm you up before you tear into a fat, filling muffuletta wedge (coppa, soppressata, mortadella, provolone, Emmentaler, olive salad; $9) that’ll transport you to steamy New Orleans. 365 Van Brunt St at Dikeman St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (347-453-6672, fortdefiancebrooklyn.com)
Best winter fuel: Muffuletta
Feeds: One
Replaces: Dinner

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Winter drinking guide
It's getting darker and chillier outside by the minute. Just thinking about it makes us want to toss one back.