Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
SADLY, MISCELÁNEA IS NOW CLOSED.
For most people, it’s not so difficult to find time to eat lunch between 11:30am and 4pm. Unfortunately, I’m not most people. And so I kept missing the sandwiches at the new Mexican provisions shop Miscelánea. They closed their kitchen at 4pm.
I had been by a number of times trying to get some food, but I was always too late. One afternoon I found myself in the East Village and I needed some sustenance. That’s when I realized I had ten minutes to get myself to the little shop on 4th Street.
Miscelánea is a special little place. It’s tiny with just a few stools for seating and a counter in the back that serves Mexican tortas, a few hot snacks, and a variety of coffees and juices. But the bulk of the store is made up of interesting Mexican products and foodstuffs. Waiting for my sandwich to be prepared was far from boring as I explored some unique items like maguey syrup and Mexican magazines.
The world around me faded away as I began to chow down on this incredible sandwich. The soft, crusty bread is superb, but the star of the show is the name of the sandwich: queso Oaxaca. This white, stringy cheese from the region of Oaxaca is stretchy and chewy. It plays so nicely with the sweet caramelized onions, the earthy rich refried beans, fresh creamy avocado, and gets a hit of brightness from both crisp watercress and green salsa.
It was only later that I realized this was a vegetarian sandwich. Who needs meat when the ingredients are this good?
As of this writing, the owners have decided to keep the sandwich window open until a more reasonable 7pm. I’d like to take credit for the extended hours, but I’m sure I was just one of many people who demanded these sandwiches at later hours.
| MISCELÁNEA |
| 63 East 4th Street (between Bowery and Second Avenue), East Village (212) 253-0277 |
| miscelaneany.com |
