Women at Work: Atef Boulaabi
Next in the series: the founder of SOS Chefs, the in-the-know source for spices and compelling ingredients beloved by New York City chefs and foodies.
Every chef has a secret ingredient. A special peppercorn found in Indonesia; plum-soaked sesame seeds from Japan; a proprietary blend of pickling spices. They’re ingredients that make the difference between a good meal and an incredible one, the kind you may not find in your local grocery store. But if you’re in New York, you can go straight to the source: SOS Chefs, the narrow, abundantly fragrant shop Atef Boulaabi opened in the East Village nearly 30 years ago.
“Whether you’re a Michelin-starred chef or a curious home cook, our shop can inspire you in so many ways,” Atef says. Today, she has NYU students, East Village denizens, and middle school kids coming in to discover her spices, vinegars, and provisions — roughly 1,000 to choose from — but when she opened her doors in 1996, SOS Chefs was strictly a wholesaler. Atef got her start working for a French culinary company in the early ‘90s, zig-zagging the city to sell foie gras, paté, and truffles to restaurants and hotels. The experience gave her a taste for sourcing, and introduced her to the city’s top chefs — many of whom encouraged Atef to start a her own business.
“Everything was happening in the New York culinary scene at that time,” she recalls. “Chefs were starting to look for these rare products and ingredients, and I knew I could bring them the best of the best.”
On an aimless walk through the East Village, she saw a “for rent” sign on Avenue B, called the landlord, and signed the lease on the spot. “I didn’t really have a plan. I knew I didn’t just want to open a store,” she says. “I wanted to create an experience, to be a storyteller. Because every ingredient has a story.”
This being the ‘90s, cumin and paprika were still considered “exotic,” Atef recalls, in contrast with her own diverse palate. “I grew up in Tunisia with a grandmother who dried her own orange blossoms, fermented her own vinegars, and made couscous from scratch,” she says. “I understood the language of chefs, and the importance of beautiful, quality ingredients.”
Walk into her space and Atef will explain not only what makes her Jordanian za’atar so special, but what you can cook with it. She speaks poetically about the magic of a little harissa, a dash of cinnamon, an herb that reminds you of home.
“Cooking is really an expression,” she says. “When you are in love, you cook differently. When you feel nostalgic, you cook differently.”
An entire wall is dedicated to peppercorns, like one from Nepal that smells, unexpectedly, of fresh grapefruit (her tip: grind it over white fish or burrata), while another is lined with vinegars fermented in-house using fruit and vegetable scraps. “It makes me happy when I can find a way to waste nothing.”
Despite pleas for second and third locations, Atef is staying small — for now, at least. (For non-New Yorkers, there’s the SOS Chefs website — a trove of inspiration.) “What I have always looked for is exclusivity,” she says. “And nowadays, that’s really what’s lacking — in food, in fashion, in art. People tell me it’s the opposite of the U.S. business model, to not want to scale. But it’s a treat to stay small, to keep doing beautiful things.”
My daily work uniform… is casual chic. If I’m not comfortable, I can’t call it fashion.
My go-to look for an important meeting… in my industry, you never have to wear a suit. It’s just about cool, easy things. It depends on the season, but lately I’ve been wearing a lot of softer colors, like gray.
My fashion vibe for spring… I love white in the spring and summer. I come from a country where you wear a lot of white. In the sun, it just looks stunning. But I don’t think an outfit can define you — you define the outfit.
The fashion item that makes me feel most powerful… I have a lot of pieces from my family. My grandmother had beautiful jewelry that she passed down to me.
The connection between fashion and food… I’ve always thought the two are similar. You have a color palette, you have flavor, you have authenticity, you have stories. You’re expressing something about yourself.
The most rewarding thing about being an entrepreneur… freedom. When you have your own business, it’s like raising a child — it’s demanding, it’s unpredictable, but it’s very rewarding. It’s a lot of love.
And the most challenging… when you love what you do and are passionate about your craft, you forget the struggles. My 30-year journey has been full of learning through trial and error, but it has been rewarding and fulfilling.
1. Strolls in Central Park. “Spring draws me out of SOS and into Central Park, where I love to take in the lush greenery — with my Romy hobo bag filled with dates and figs.”
2. Fresh spring produce. “Spring is when we receive a large quantity of roses and orange blossom flowers from Tunisia for my yearly distillation.”
3. Daring Rose eau de parfum. “Spring feels like the perfect time to try a fresh fragrance, and I have my eye on Daring Rose in Tory’s Essence of Dreams collection.”
4. The Essentials spice set. “My team and I designed this stunning new spice box that offers the best of each category in a beautiful package to bring taste and glamour to your pantry.”
5. Sequined skirt. “I love sparkle, and the purple color of this skirt stands out. It reminds me of purple saffron crocus petals.”
6. New art exhibitions. “I’m looking forward to exploring the city’s latest exhibits, especially ‘Taste’ by Matt DiGiacomo at Ross + Kramer Gallery and Faith Ringgold at the Guggenheim (pictured).”
7. Cherry blossoms in Tokyo. “Visiting Tokyo last year was magical, but I went in the summer when it was sweltering! This spring, I dream of returning to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom.”
We’re thrilled to celebrate Women’s History Month with our second Women at Work issue, featuring entrepreneurs in the food world. We’ll publish new stories through the month. Thank you for reading!
I love this series. ♥️
Hi Atef! So fun to read this.