Chef and Founder, La Boîte and Spice Brothers | New York, NY

Lior Lev Sercarz is chef and founder of both La Boîte and Spice Brothers. Lior grew up in Israel at a time when the country boasted over seventy different ethnic groups, introducing him to a wondrous variety of bold flavors and spice-centric foods. Educated in France and traveling throughout Europe, South America, and Asia, he spent years training with spice mentor Olivier Roellinger ,as well as Daniel Boulud, before founding his global spice brand La Boîte in New York in 2006. Today, La Boîte features more than two hundred fourty single and crafted spice blends and specialty products sourced from the highest quality farmers and producers from around the world. As the founder of Spice Brothers, a high-quality, fast-casual shawarma restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village, the chef has been recognized with a two-star review from The New York Times, which ranked it among its “Best Restaurants in 2024.”

Lior has authored four cookbooks: The Art of Blending; The Spice Companion; Mastering Spice, which was named one of the “best cookbooks of the year” by The New York Times Book Review; and A Middle Eastern Pantry, designated by Food & Wine as one of the “best new summer cookbooks” and recognized by the International Association of Culinary Professionals as a finalist for the prestigious “2024 IACP Awards.” (New York, NY) @cheflior