SOS Chefs
Spice store · East Village ·
Gourmet spices, imported provisions, hard-to-find ingredients, and unique vinegars
Gourmet spices, imported provisions, hard-to-find ingredients, and unique vinegars
"A go-to for kitchen spices and overall ingredients; between here and Kalustyan’s, if one doesn’t have it, the other does." - Sophie Friedman
"Slinging ingredients from basic to esoteric to fancy, this longtime New York City purveyor has been a staple of the city’s culinary community for almost three decades. Its 12-item kitchen essentials set is described as a good mix of staples (salt) and playful additions (smoked soy sauce) and will come in handy for the cook who’s let a few years lapse since last refreshing their spice shelf, or who recently moved and needs to build their collection back up. The neatly labeled, industrial-chic glass jars look great on the shelf as is; no need to transfer to "more aesthetic" containers." - Bettina Makalintal
"Tucked into a low-key storefront at 104 Avenue B, near East Seventh Street, I discovered SOS Chefs — a nearly 30-year East Village secret weapon for New York chefs. Owner Atef Boulaabi, originally from Tunisia, launched the business in 1996 strictly for chefs and wholesalers and opened it to the public four years later; she now sources roughly 1,200 products from around the world and repackages many herself, offering items from plum-coated sesame seeds, banana vinegar, saffron, or agave worm salt to pretzel salt, along with tea mixtures and ferments. The operation is intimate and hospitality-forward: Boulaabi breaks out samples for customers, collaborates on co-branded specialty products (she’s working on a seasoning with a top NYC pizzeria), and has become a trusted ingredient whisperer to chefs like Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges (most recently for the Tin Building), and teams at Il Buco, Atla, Estela, and Oxomoco. She runs the shop with her husband, former chef Adam Berkowitz, who built the wood-and-metal shelving that holds a dizzying array of powders, oils, sauces, and more than 30 vinegars (yuzu and pumpkin-chai among them); the couple live above the store, a worn-in table and hanging dried goods make it feel like a second living room, and their cat Mabrouk keeps watch while they experiment in the back. The pandemic forced a shift from a business that used to be about 90 percent restaurant-driven to one with many home cooks, pushed them to expand online and to repurpose a Bushwick space into an events atelier, and highlighted sourcing challenges from climate change and geopolitical turmoil (she notes difficulty getting Tasmanian pepper berries); still, Boulaabi is forecasting ingredients like salep, has adjusted hours for better work–life balance, and continues to draw devoted, curious food people who travel to hear her stories." - Emma Orlow
"Run by Atef Boulaabi since 1996, this cabinet of curiosities feels like a well-kept secret despite constant visits from top chefs; I found hundreds of top-notch provisions sold individually and several holiday gift sets, including Boulaabi's line of vinegars (flavors like elderberry and pineapple), a spice set that doubles as a painting palette, pantry staples such as garlic powder and peppercorns, and helpful personalized recommendations if you ask Boulaabi." - Emma Orlow
"One of our favorite places to source for the restaurants and for home, with Atef—the owner—who is just magical; on this trip she rubbed saffron oil onto my wrists and tucked a jar of fig‑olive paste into my bag as a blessing for the baby." - Alan Sytsma
