When professional musicians Cecilia Melendez and her husband, Rafael Vazquez, moved to California from Mexico City, they brought with them her French horn, his trombone — and a trove of family recipes.

Together with her brother, Pedro, they opened Casa Guzmania, an empanada shop in downtown San Jose named in honor of the family matriarch.

They started with about 10 savory and sweet varieties and, in just a few years, the number has doubled. They divvy up the work in the kitchen.

“I cook the cochinita, the mole, the tinga, and he cooks the beef, the chorizo, the spinach,” Melendez says.

Business is good when there are conventions at the nearby San Jose McEnery Convention Center. “Other times it’s quiet. But we are growing step by step,” she says.

They have added a comedy night the first Wednesday of each month, providing exposure both for the shop and for local comics. The next one is scheduled for Feb. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The dish >> Guzmania’s Mole empanada — stuffed with moist chicken — is a must for fans of that complex sauce. Our new discovery was the Rajas vegetarian number, which combines strips of roasted poblano peppers and corn in a creamy, cheesy sauce. For dessert, the customers’ new favorite is the Guava with Cream Cheese, “made with real guava, not marmalade,” Melendez notes.

Details >> Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at 350 S. Market St., San Jose; https://casaguzmania.square.site/