April 14, 2011

The Exotic S.O.S. Chefs

Whenever my friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, comes to my home to prepare a dinner party for me, he always brings the most incredible ingredients.  He talks fondly of all the purveyors he frequents, especially Atef Boulaabi of S.O.S. Chefs, located on the lower east side of Manhattan.  Atef had been working in sales when she realized, about fifteen years ago, that chefs and foodies really needed a go-to source for hard-to-find gourmet products.  With a passion for travel and for the exotic, Atef found sources from all over the world who could provide the most interesting and esoteric ingredients.  With that said, there is a story behind each product and Atef loves telling those stories to educate her customers.  With my curiosity piqued, last weekend, I dropped into S.O.S. Chefs and was not disappointed.  The shop’s inventory is very unusual and I was impressed with Atef’s enthusiasm for offering the best goods that she can possibly find.  It’s little wonder that S.O.S. Chefs serves some of the most renowned restaurants and chefs in the world.