Tijuana Picnic, Bacchanal, and More Coming This Spring

The new Latin/Asian restaurant from the Indochine/Acme team in the former Laugh Lounge space will be called Tijuana Picnic. In their spring restaurant preview, The Robs report that chef Alex Lopez, previously of Kittichai, will serve a menu that will include "galangal-marinated-chicken tacos" and "roasted pork neck with Thai-spiced chimichurri." If everything goes according plan, Tijuana Picnic will open in May.

In other spring opening news, restaurateur Peter Poulakakos is planning a new project with Apiary's Scott Bryan at 146 Bowery called Bacchanal. It sounds like this will be a New American restaurant, with a menu that will include pasta dishes, hamachi crudo, sliced ibérico ham, and "skirt steak with black-bean-chipotle tinga." No word yet on whether Bryan is leaving Apiary, or if he plans to run both kitchens at the same time.

And because a few French restaurants are opening this spring, The Robs have made the official call that New York is about to enter "The French Restaurant Boom, Part II." Among the new batch: Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, the new one from the Experimental Cocktail Club owners with a menu by Armand Arnal and former Baracca chef Jesús Nuñez; Cherche Midi, Keith McNally's Gallic revamp of the Pulino's space; and Chez Jef, Mathieu Palombino's bistro pop-up, which will be turned into a full-fledged restaurant.
UPDATE: A rep sends word that Jesús Nuñez is no longer involved with Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels.
· The Underground Gourmet's Spring Restaurant Preview [NYM]
[Photo: The future home of Tijuana Picnic, by Zach Ligas]