Miscelanea NY

March 16, 2017

A hole in the wall can never be that charming, unless it’s Miscelanea NY. Perched on the East Village of Manhattan, and looking more like an art installation (murals included) than a typical NYC deli, Miscelanea fuses a Mexican deli with a concept store. One-of-a-kind tortas are their star menu item, accompanied by “Cafe de Olla”, a selection of Mexican cooking products, and let’s not forget the fun stuff: Mexican maps, cooking books, table games, and even caps reading “Make America Mexico Again.”

If you ask us, it looks like a children’s candy store—except the candies are sauces and salts, and the toys aremolcajetes and Mexican candles.

We spoke to the owner Guillaume Guevara to learn more about the journey of his business and his love for Mexican anything.

Text by Sasha Leon
Photos by Mitchell Connell

Where are you from?

I’m from Mexico City, born and raised. I left there when I was about 17 or 18.

Did you always wanted to own something like Miscelanea?

No. I was more of a corperate kind of guy. You hire me you pay me and I’m happy. That only worked for about 10 years and at a certain point I wanted to try something on my own. NYC inspires you, but it’s also evil. You can get lost in it, like a drug: they’re amazing but they can kill you. You have to know that you can’t do drugs without getting in some trouble. And that’s NYC. You can live here without getting into trouble, but you gotta know how much to take.

If you go to too many fashion week events and too many 300 dollar dinners with friends, then you wanna live in TribeCa and go to The Hampton's. After that you go broke, go live under the bridge, and then die [laughs].

So did you get the idea for your business in Mexico or here in NYC?

I’ve been in NYC for about 15 years now, and I always thought there was a void in the market.. Miscelanea means deli in spanish, but [we] encompass much more than just a deli. I like to call it a hybrid between a deli and a concept store. We sell food, but we also sell gifts and books, and we do catering. We have an online shop and even a magazine that we just came up with. I call it an umbrella for all things Mexican. So the main idea was to promote Mexico.

How long has it been here?

Since the summer of 2015. We're pretty new in the NYC scheme.

You’re kinda big! I read about Miscelanea in the New York Times.

That probably speaks to the fact that maybe we were right; there was a void. There’s a lot of Mexican restaurants and bars, but the press is not gonna talk about the next Mexican restaurant. It’s gonna talk about something new, and there was no Mexican store [like ours] until the day we opened. There’s some, but they have a bit of a Latin-American twist, merged with Dominican and Puerto Rican products. There was nothing 100 percent Mexican. We were at the right place at the right time.

Who are your customers? Mexicans? Americans? Tourists?

We have a variety. A lot of them have become regulars. We’re small, we’ve gotten press, but were not a powerhouse. You don’t come here from New Jersey or the Upper West Side, but a lot of the locals are regulars; people that live in New York, and that’s a big part of our business. The second part is divided by people that follow us online. Then there are also Mexicans that google “Mexican store” or “Mexican deli” or “queso oaxaca” and they find us and end up here. As far as I know, were the only store in Manhattan that sells queso oaxaca by the pound.

How did you get the idea or the concept of a high-end kinda deli?

I don’t refer it to it as high-end. Its both: low and high. I was trying to represent Mexico in a nicer way, and by nicer I don’t mean elitist or expensive. What I mean is in a more relevant and newer way. You don’t necessarily know its Mexican when you walk in. There’s no Mexican flag or a sombrero or a mariachi welcoming you at the door. It’s more about entering a beautiful place where we present Mexican products. We have products starting at 50 cents, but we also have more refined and elevated merchandise. I want to present Mexico to all incomes and all races. I have entrepreneurs that come in sometimes, and there’s also dishwashers that come in. They all shop together and buy the same things.

How did you curate the menu? How did you decide you were going to sell tortas (Mexican sandwiches) as your main dish?

The idea was to open a store with limited food. [At the beginning] we were thinking of pastries and coffee. But soon before we opened someone suggested we sell food, and I thought it was a good idea, since delis in NYC sell food. Someone suggested we sell tacos, but everyone sells tacos. Everybody does that. We’re not gonna be the best or only tacos, were just gonna be another fucking taco spot in NYC.

So I’m like, “We’re a deli, we should sell your regular cheese sandwich that you get in NYC but with a Mexican spin.” I personally love tortas, and there’s not too many out there. So we stuck to tortas and we do them well. A lot of people want complicated stuff like ceviche added to the menu, but I’m a big believer in doing things right. I’d rather have one amazing basic product that’s well-executed than try to produce a large but mediocre menu.

Where do you see this expanding to? Long term? Are you focused only on one store and making it perfect?

I would definitely like to grow. It’s a big component of anyone’s dream. You don’t go into business hoping to remain small, but at the same time I know people that have grown quickly and fell even quicker. It happens a lot in NYC, chains close out of nowhere because they grow a little too fast. I do want to grow, but I want to go slow. I’m focusing solely on this store for now. We don’t wait for customers to come, we go out and reach them. We do caterings,we deliver with every delivery service, and we go out there. We have an online store for e-commerce but everything is centralized [in this location]. I have people reach out to me for franchises, but at the moment we need to have everything controlled here and then hopefully expand.

Do you still find yourself being pretty hands on? Taking over the kitchen and such?

Of course. I’m still doing pretty much everything when people can’t. Sometimes the cook or chef is alone and is slammed during lunch hour. I jump in with the dishes or the cooking or whatever he needs. There’s always an hour where he’s drowning in orders. When he’s fine, I step out. I’m still very involved, yes.

Are you here everyday monitoring?

At the very beginning I was opening and closing, as well as working the counter and it was very exhausting. I was also doing the social media and all the finances, payroll… etc., and at the same time I had a baby. I was trying to do everything and on top I wasn’t sleeping at night, so I crashed.

I had to delegate and find guys that would run the show without me. That was the first step into the growth we’re talking about. We have a great manager and lovely staff, and when I’m not here everything is fine. I’m not as involved anymore, as I’m trying to focus on the bigger picture: what’s gonna create our buzz and revenue, and what people enjoy and want from us.

What was the most rewarding part? Giving america a taste of Mexican culture?

I think it’s very rewarding. The most rewarding is having people that work here being able to support themselves. We have full time employees and they make a living off of Miscelanea solely.. My business providing a couple of people a way of making a living feels amazing. And hopefully a living that they enjoy. The other thing I’m proud of is being able to present Mexico in a more modern way. I’m trying to present Mexico and promote it in general. I think people are starting to realize that Mexico is not what they thought; some are still stuck with their little ideas, particularly with what’s been happening with Trump. It’s fun to present something unique for them. Not necessarily take their money, but get them acquainted.

Do you have any competition? Has anyone tried to mimic what you’re doing?

I thought you said ‘compensation’. In case you wanted to know, I’m broke as fuck.[laughs]. Anyway, competition, yes and no. There are some delis that are Mexican out there, and I admire them. Some of what they do is insane. Zaragoza for example, is not too far from here. There's only one guy and they've been here for 20 years. There’s also another one in Williamsburg that’s really cool as well. I think they're half our competitors. They do well. When people google ‘Mexican stores’, we all show up, so I think they are our competition, but we’re also a bit different. I don’t really compare you to them to be honest. Some of the products and prices are definitely the same, Like our salsa “Herdez” we sell it for 3.95 and they do too. It's just a different location. But they don't sell all the fun and innovative stuff--like iced coffee with horchata.

Not to get too political but it must be a difficult time with Mexico and the media and Trump.

I guess it’s unsettling times. You hear about all this deportations; even people with green cards. It hasn't affected anyone around me, or me personally. I've been very lucky, but I'm also an optimist. I try to think about the future and the positiveness. Overtime things get better. We have a mural that says hope outside our store because of that. I think we’ll be okay, like Mexicans say.

I find it very unique that you’re one of the few businesses with only two or three employees.

Yeah that’s what I’m proud of. They are now here full-time, and from what I know they don’t have another job. They’re making a living off of Miscelanea, and they know each other very well. We employ anyone that’s suitable for the job, but speaking Spanish is imporant to me. I want people to feel like they're having a true Mexican experience. Like right now as we speak, I’m noticing my tortilla lady is getting free sandwiches, but I have no problem with it. She’s always on time, and she does our delicious chips. She comes when there’s a snowstorm or a heatwave. It’s part of the Mexican culture. We take care of one another.

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

Culture

Real Slick, Jack: Psyche Organic Arrives in New York

Shop Psyche Organic at Happier Grocery and Dimes. Coming soon to @citarellagourmetmarket @unionmarket @gourmetgarage @deciccos @fairwaymarket plus many more.

Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.