About UsPartner With Us
Location
63 East 4th Street
Neighborhoods
Miscelanea 1 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village

“There are no luchadores or mariachi here, and I’m not wearing a sombrero,” Guillaume Guevara stated when describing the atmosphere of his one-stop Mexican store. “G,” as he is known to his friends, designed Miscelanea in 2015 to have a “modern Mexican vibe.”

G is Mexican, but he has traveled the world working and exploring. He has experience not only in the marketing and food and beverage industries, but also in hospitality. After studying in Switzerland, he worked in hotel management at the Savoy in London and at the Carlyle in Manhattan. There is no doubt that at this point he is well-versed in running a successful business. “I’m the guy who’s done a few things,” he said with a smile. Despite his travels, it is clear that G is Mexican to the core. It is his love for his homeland that caused him to open Miscelanea. At first he planned it to be a restaurant or bar, but then he realized that the East Village was populated with Mexican eateries. When chatting with his fellow Mexican ex-pats and asking questions including “Where do you get your cheese, your candy, etc.?” he learned that people were visiting multiple specialty stores, scattered throughout the city, in order to purchase the food that was reminiscent of home. It was then that he decided to make it easier and created a “lifestyle store” for the Mexican community in Manhattan.

G treads a fine line between authentic and modern. He runs the store exactly as he would in Mexico, without any kitsch pandering to the non-Mexican New York locals. He does, however, list his food items in English, and many of the products have English ingredient labels. He wants New Yorkers who do not speak Spanish to be comfortable shopping at Miscelanea. Even though he had only been open a couple of months when I stopped by, G told me that he already had a steady client base made up of three main groups - the people who work and live in the area, the visitors who have read about Miscelanea and treat it as a destination, and the Mexicans who want food from home.

One thing that surprised G as his business began to grow is that Miscelanea had quickly become a place to get prepared food. Originally, he wanted the store to be mainly about produce, with some hot food on the side. Now, the business is a sandwich/coffee place that happens to be a shop. “Opening a business is like having a baby,” he explained. “You want him to grow up and play soccer, but he wants to play guitar.” Like a loving father, G is not disappointed that Miscelanea does not fit his original dream for the store. “I’ve been very lucky,” he said, talking about the number of loyal customers that he has already accrued. He is, however, amused that his tiny kitchen is churning out so many dishes. “It’s like an airplane kitchen in there, or like what you would find in an RV.”

Browsing through the different products on the shelves, it reminded me of the time that my husband and I lived in Mexico City. I quickly discovered that G really does cover the basics that a New Yorker might desire including Mexican mole, agua fresca, perfume, mugs, kitchen rags, aprons, whisks, magazines and much more, all arranged in uncluttered, colorful rows. A special moment came when G sweetly shared that some of his favorite times running the store have been when young people from the neighborhood stop by and then bring their families back a few days later, pointing out the goods that remind them of their home. As G so nicely put it, Miscelanea is “a free trip to Mexico.”

Sitting on the bench right outside, Olivia and I sampled the Chilaquiles with green salsa, guacamole, refried beans and cheese. “It’s great hangover food,” G offered as he handed us our meal, which also comes with perfectly salted tortilla chips and homemade spicy pickled vegetables. For us, it was a perfect pick me up to send us on our way walking across East 4th Street.

Location
Loading
Miscelanea 1 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 2 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 3 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 4 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 5 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 6 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 7 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 8 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 9 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 10 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 11 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 12 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 13 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 14 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 15 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 16 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 17 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 18 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 19 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village
Miscelanea 20 Coffee Shops Mexican East Village

More Coffee Shops nearby

More places on 4th Street

Lost Gem
Pageant Print Shop 1 Bookstores East Village

Pageant Print Shop

Pageant Print Shop’s entirely glass storefront bordered by light blue is instantly eye-catching and proudly displays the treasure within. Inside its bright, buttercream interior, an immense assortment of old prints and maps line every wall and fill neatly-labeled display racks.This sanctuary of beautiful historical pieces was created by Sidney Solomon and Henry Chafetz in 1946. It was originally one of the many second-hand book stores on Fourth Avenue, an area that was then known as “Book Row.” Now under the leadership of Sidney’s daughters, Shirley and Rebecca, Pageant Print Shop primarily sells old prints and is thriving at its current 4th Street location.Having worked with historic pieces her whole life, Shirley knows how to get the best prints. She has amassed her impressive collection from antique book auctions as well as other various sources that she has built up over the years. Rodger, who has been working at Pageant Print Shop for over a decade, told Manhattan Sideways that “what we are looking for are old books with the bindings broken that are really not in very good shape on the outside, but still have good quality prints, maps, or illustrations on the inside.” Although they search for old books based on the contents within, the shop also sells the old bindings for creatives looking to make decoupage and other fun art projects.Pageant Print Shop is definitely a fixture in the East Village, and in the words of Rodger, is “one of those neighborhood jams.” They enjoy “a loyal group of people that have been coming here for eons," tourists looking for something authentically New York City, and neighborhood people walking by. Rodger told us that newcomers are often “surprised that they are able to buy a piece of history,” and return for more of their authentic, beautiful, and historic prints. Pageant Print Shop is unique in its extensive, high quality, and affordable selection. Rodger affirmed that “It’s going to be hard for you to find someone who has this kind of a collection at these kinds of prices - it’s just true.”