A new eatery offering a modern spin on traditional Mexican fare — and specializing in tequila and other agave spirits — is the newest entry on Bayside’s restaurant row.
Spanglish NYC will make its bow later this year at 40-04 Bell Blvd., the former home of Sabor Guarani, a Latin fusion restaurant and bar. Posters about the new eatery were seen on Sept. 20 covering the windows of the eatery as work continues.
Chef David Arias, the force behind Spanglish NYC, features prominently on the posters as the establishment’s “celebrity chef.” The Queens resident and native of Bolivia got his start in the business as a dishwasher at a restaurant, according to his biography on Harri, a social network for the restaurant industry.
Arias wound up meeting Richard Farnabe, a former chef at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Jean-Georges and Restaurant Daniel, who became his mentor in the kitchen. Arias took on a full-time job in the restaurant industry while also attending the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan.
In 2006, Arias joined Abboccato Italian Kitchen near Carnegie Hall, which closed in 2016. He later helped open Oceana Poke, a seafood restaurant in Manhattan, then joined Fine & Rare restaurant and bar in Chelsea as its executive chef.
Spanglish NYC has just six posts on its Instagram page, but they each offer clues as to what diners can expect once it opens — from chile poblano peppers roasting over an open flame to a photogenic plate of lobster with snow peas and greens.
More than just a modern Mexican restaurant, Spanglish NYC will also serve as an “agaveria” featuring “the largest list for mezcal and tequila in Queens.” Both spirits are made with agave root grown and produced in Mexico.
For more information, check out Spanglish NYC’s Instagram page.
QNS reached out to Spanglish NYC for further information and is awaiting a response.
