Spice Brothers Opens in NYC

"Opened on St. Marks Place by spice expert Lior Lev Sercarz in partnership with Bar Lab Hospitality and chef David Malbequi, this compact shop focuses on house-seasoned shawarma and a meticulously engineered spit. The beef-and-lamb option is seasoned with a Turkish-style blend heavy on cumin and cinnamon with a bright note of rose petals and finished with a herbed labneh sauce, while the chicken is spiced with pimentón and turmeric and kicked with harissa. Sandwiches (roughly $15 for chicken, $17 for beef-lamb) come with tahini, a salty mango-pickle amba, cilantro, and an unconventional crown of arugula that adds peppery freshness; pitas are fluffy and from a New Jersey baker, and the meats come from a noted purveyor. A tight menu also includes falafel with zhuoug and tahina, an egg-and-eggplant sabich, spiced fries, and hummus, and the team emphasizes precise layering and spit construction so they can customize texture, caramelization, and fat level to customers’ preferences." - Chris Crowley