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�� HOUSES FOR SALE
SAFE
THRUWAY
EXIT 29
111 W. Main St.
Canajoharie NY
Classic Brick
Townhouse Ideal
Mixed use/Family
33 Canal St. Ft.
Plain NY 13339
2 Story Former
Bank w' 30'
ceiling Room with
large 2nd Fl. Loft/
Parking
NEW LOWER
PRICES
Call or Text Perry
917-7478580
�� COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FOR RENT
NOHO DISTRICT
Manufacturing Space for Lease
Ideal for service, industrial.
No retail or office uses.
Only uses permitted under
zoning district M1-5B
636 Broadway 7972 SF,
cellar only
$239,160 annual basis ($30/sqft)
Call: V. Trager 212-254-7701
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Business
Save Our Spices: Explore a
legendary East Village spice store
BY BOB KRASNER
It’s called SOS Chefs – Save Our
Spices – but this is not just a spice
shop. This is an East Village culinary
version of a candy store, where
the top chefs in NYC mingle with
foodies and would be gourmets have
come to be inspired since 1996.
Atef Boulaabi and her husband Adam
Berkowitz run a shop that he calls
a ” work of passion”. While Berkowitz
– a chef by trade – is content to stay in
the background, Boulaabi is happy to
regale the clientele with the benefi ts of
Saffron extract (“it’s an antidepressant
and it helps to keep a sharp mind,” she
says) and the various uses for Australian
Acacia seed ( “use it on squab,
duck and vegetables,” she suggests.
“And in hot chocolate! ” ).
Luminaries like the noted chef
David Chang ( Momofuku ) come
in frequently to see what’s new, and
there is always something. Boulaabi,
a native of Tunisia, considers herself
” a curator of rare product, always
looking for the best quality. ”
Her products have quite a range:
Honey from the Mariola , the smallest
bee in the world, living in a rainforest
half a world away. A Chaga
mushroom from upstate New York.
Cinnamon Tree Berries and Vanilla
Beans from Madagascar, Sancho Peppercorns
from Japan , Almond Syrup
from Beirut, 50 different vinegars
made in-house and over 375 spices
that originate in Syria, Turkey, North
Africa, Sri Lanka, Mexico and Indonesia,
among others.
“You never know what you will
fi nd next, ” Boulaabi notes. ” The
minute you think that you’ve seen it
all, nature says ‘No, you did not!’ and
you fi nd something new.”
A recent discovery is freeze dried
Bill Brasile, Head Chef and owner of Le Grande Boucherie, discusses
a Chaga mushroom from Upstate New York with Atef Boulaabi, shop
owner.
Sea Urchin powder, which instantly
inspired her 13 year-old son, whose
fi rst question when he comes home
from school is always “mom, what’s
for dinner ?”
Atef Boulaabi working with saffron.
“Let’s put it on steamed potato
with olive oil !” he suggested.Jewelry
designer Cyril DesPointes describes
SOS as , ” a little paradise, a small
gem in the city.”
His favorite is the freeze dried capers,
that “are not like any others, they
are not in salt or vinegar.” But he is
PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER
open to suggestion when he visits, as ”
every time you go, there is something
new to discover.”
Chef Bill Brasile, whose quartet of
city restaurants includes the newly
opened La Grande Boucherie in midtown,
has known Boulaabi since she
was ” selling truffl es to restaurants”
before the shop existed.
“I use their spices for all my
dishes,” he says. ” They have the best
selection, the highest quality and the
freshest spices.”“They are just wonderful
people,” Brasile adds. “They
are on their own voyage of discovery
and it’s fun to tag along.”
You won’t fi nd a sign outside, just
the letters S.O.S inserted into the
sidewalk outside the door. “I want
people to discover me, like a secret,”
Boulaabi explains. “Once you come
in, it all makes sense.” But don’t
expect that because you have entered
this fragrant paradise, you will be
leaving with whatever you are willing
to pay for.
”People don’t understand when
something is not for sale,” says Boulaabi,
“There are some things that I
just have to share only with the right
client. I need to know that the right
person is getting this little blessing in
a jar.”Luckily, this tiny shop is packed
full of those little blessings. “When
you have something beautiful, you
want to share it, ” concludes Boulaabi.
” I am happy when something special
goes to a better home than mine.”
You can fi nd SOS Chefs on the web
at sos-chefs.comand on Instagram
@soschefs.
Atef Boulaabi considers the different ways one can serve dried
eggplant.
Schneps Media December 10, 2020 15
/sos-chefs.com
