Kalustyan's Is Conquering the Large Restaurant Space Next Door

Despite a rumor in 2009 that longtime Murray Hill resident Chez Le Chef was shuttering, the restaurant managed to hold on for another five years, finally closing last summer. Today, an Eater staffer spots plywood and signage at the space on Lexington Avenue, which announces in neon that two more floors of Kalustyan's are coming soon. For the uninitiated, Kalustyan's is an emporium of spices, dried foods, tea, olive oils, and oh so many other provisions, that many of the city's top chefs use to stock their personal pantries. The shop also has a rather unsung cafe on its second floor. According to a clerk at Kalustyan's, construction is just getting started, but once the expansion is complete, expect a larger variety of goods at the shop, and an expanded menu for that cafe upstairs.