For Atef, SOS Chefs
For Atef, at the best spice shop in NYC
I met Atef, the owner of the gorgeous spice shop in the East Village famously known as SOS Chefs, earlier this year while visiting her shop, seeking I don’t remember what, maybe a peppercorn or something. The shop sits on the same street as my apartment, and though I’d been going for some time, we hadn’t met.
And yet, some months ago, I walked in on a quiet day at the shop, which might often be packed with tourists, regulars, and neighbors alike, and Atef and I hit it off immediately. As I came into the shop over the coming months, we got to know each other little by little, and then, suddenly, it was last Tuesday, and we found ourselves talking up a short, fun project with her creative vision leading the way.
We met up again on Thursday for a quick afternoon session as the sun set outside the shop on a frigidly cold Manhattan evening. Atef had a vision, and I tried my best to create it. Though I won’t share her secret project here, I will share some images I took for fun alongside the main ting.
Here are some pictures from the time <3
What I got the last time I was there:
- Grey sea salt
- Fermented green peppercorn
- A lovely blood orange, peeled by Atef
- Water with basil seeds, also given to me by Atef
SOS Chefs
