New Gaslamp Spot Combines Baja Med Cuisine and Cocktails

A restaurant and cocktail bar called Juan Tequila will open in late May in the Gaslamp, replacing Fourth Avenue pizza parlor and bar The New Yorker. Next Wave Commercial’s Paul Ahern, who represented The New Yorker’s former owner Aram Baloyan and team, says the sale will allow them to focus on the expansion of their other concepts, which include numerous locations of The Taco Stand locations and Himitsu in La Jolla.

Juan Tequila will explore the upscale presentations and innovative flavor combinations that have become hallmarks of Baja Med cuisine through a collection of small plates and larger entree dishes. Plates could include chicken mole enchiladas, a casuela of vegetables, or nopales tacos.

Cocktail consultant Cervantes Magaña, who created the opening bar lists at several local restaurants — most recently Cache in Hillcrest and Little Italy’s Cloak + Petal — is overseeing the beverage program. Magaña says he is working with local shop Collins & Coupe to source vintage glassware for the menu, which will include some tiki-inspired drinks based on tropical fruit and Mexican ingredients, as well as a carefully chosen assortment of old world tequila, mezcal, and other agave spirits, Baja wine, and craft beer.