Felipe Mendez is a man with a mission: to bring New Yorkers the sights, sounds and tastes of Mexico City. Last summer, Mendez, 29, opened the aptly named La Superior, a tiny South Williamsburg taqueria that stays true to its roots, all the way down to its hand-screened wallpaper, maize-colored saltshakers, spicy shrimp tacos and crispy chicken flautas. "Everywhere I went in New York the food wasn't really Mexican," says Mendez, a Mexico City native who's made the rounds in Manhattan as a bartender and waiter at upscale south-of-the-border establishments like Dos Caminos and Rosa Mexicano. "They all served burritos or fajitas … It actually pisses me off when they serve burritos."
In addition to what you taste and see at his restaurant,
Mendez -- a.k.a. sonido discoyoacan (his DJ name) -- handpicks what you hear.
And when he's not working a 12-hour shift, Mendez can often be found at
museums and concert halls like the Guggenheim and Bowery Ballroom
spinning Mexican soul, surf, mambo, cha-cha, soap opera and barrio
tracks from the '50s, '60s and '70s. (Much of the vinyl Mendez plays he
uncovered at flea markets and record stores in Mexico City.) "I give you
the entire experience of Mexico," says Mendez of La Superior, which also
regularly hosts Mexican DJs and musicians touring the U.S. "I love my
culture, and try to give it the respect it deserves."
DEREK LOOSVELT
Felipe wears a jacket by Hugo by Hugo Boss, T-shirt by Paul Smith and jeans by Levi's®.
RSS