Spanglish on Bell Blvd. in Bayside is opening up a new location in Astoria. (Photo @spanglishny on Facebook)
Nov. 13, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
A popular Bayside eatery offering a modern twist on Mexican fare is set to open a new location on Astoria’s Ditmars Boulevard by the end of the month.
Spanglish NYC, launched on Bayside’s Bell Boulevard in 2018 by prominent Manhattan chef David Arias, is set to open before Thanksgiving at 36-03 Ditmars Blvd., the site of the recently shuttered Lagano Bar & Restaurant.
The new location at 36-03 Ditmars Blvd. was previously home to Lagano Bar and Restaurant. Photo via Google Maps
Arias said he acquired the space around two months ago and hopes to open in time for the night before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest nights of the year in the restaurant trade.
Arias, who lived in Astoria around 15 years ago, said he has hoped to open a Spanglish location in the area for a long time, adding that Ditmars Boulevard has evolved into a culinary destination over the past 10 years.
“It (Ditmars) is getting attention from all over Queens,” Arias said. “Everybody from Queens wants to go to Ditmars. It used to be 30th Avenue and Broadway, but now Ditmars has good locations and good restaurants and I think Spanglish is really going to fit in well in the area.”
The new Ditmars location will offer the same menu as Spanglish in Bayside, but Arias said both restaurants will launch a new menu to celebrate the opening of the new Astoria location. The new menu, which will be on offer at both locations, will feature a variety of Mexican classics, including ceviché, tacos, and agua chiles, a traditional Mexican dish made using shrimp and raw fish fillet.
It will also offer a wide range of cocktails, fishbowls and mezcal-inspired drinks, while Arias said the Spanglish menu will change every three or four months to introduce new food and drink items.
The Poseidon punch at Spanglish. (Photo @spanglishny on Facebook)
Arias said Spanglish differs from other Mexican restaurants in the city by putting a modern twist on Mexican classics and attempting to enhance the presentation of classic dishes.
“Everything (in classic Mexican dishes) looks too loaded,” Arias said. “We try to give you a good presentation. We tweak the recipes a little bit for flavor purposes, and then we focus a lot on presentation and flavor.”
Spanglish’s Astoria location will seat around 120 customers, accommodating roughly 60 customers with indoor seating and a further 60 customers with outdoor seating on a patio at the back of the restaurant. Arias said Spanglish will open the outdoor seating area next year when the weather starts heating up.
Inside, the restaurant will be split into two sections, including a private room for events such as Christmas parties and birthday parties and a regular dining area. Arias said the two indoor sections would feature different design features, with the private space boasting an “elegant” design and the regular dining area boasting “colorful” decor, such as graffiti on the walls.
Spanglish Astoria will employ up to 30 staff, Arias said, and will first open for family and friends later in November before hosting a soft opening just in time for Thanksgiving. Arias plans to host a grand opening for the restaurant sometime in December.
“We can’t wait to open,” Arias said. “We’ve wanted to go to Astoria for years. We’re really excited to come to Astoria and I think Ditmars Boulevard has grown so much that it will be a good fit for Spanglish.”
Arias also intends to open other Spanglish locations throughout Queens and has been scouting locations around the borough but said he is currently focusing on getting the Astoria location up and running.
