Eye candy: Spice Station

 

Spice Station celebrated its grand opening recently by throwing open its doors to a hungry community that apparently had been starved for freshly ground spices.

Owner Peter Bahlawanian says that he and his wife, Bronwen Tawse, have been flat-out busy since their opening party. It's easy to see why: The cozy little boutique showcases shelves stacked high with giant apothecary jars of exotic spices, hand selected by the owners from the far-flung corners of the world. (Soon they'll have a librarian's ladder to access it all. Right now it's a matter of teamwork.)

Spice Station has all sorts of rare gems, from black lava salt, which boasts a strong minerality, to the pungent, smoky Chinese Tepin chile. 

"I want to get as much variety as I can so that people can see, say, the difference between paprika from Spain and a paprika from Peru...I get people who walk in here with wide eyes who have been looking for these things for ages," Peter says. 

Bahlawanian believes that in general, people are used to paying way too much for spices. "When I started researching for this project, I started doing some pricing. People can often pay $165 a pound for basil, but you're only getting a small jar so you don't realize it. You're paying for the weight of the container instead of actual product," he says. At his place, you can choose from a variety of qualities ranging from under $20 to $40 a pound. 

The shop has small jars of every spice available so that shoppers can sniff their wares before purchasing, while educating themselves on the nuances of worldly seasonings. They also have personalized spice gift packages available for you last minute-shoppers priced at around $45 to $70 (see above photo). 

Check out some photos of the shop and its spices after the jump. 

--Krista Simmons

Spice Station, 3819 West Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake; 323-660-2585

Cascabelles peppers from Mexico

 

Cinnamon bark 

Chile Tepin from China

 

Bronwen Tawse grinds spices with a wooden mortar and pestle 

 

 

Inside Silver Lake's new souk

Photos by Krista Simmons

Comments

[Paige M.]

The above comment I find very bizarre. What does Jon’s or the other spice place have to do with The Spice Station. Agreed that The Spice Station is very cute, but to compare dried basil, please, they need their brain checked. Having been to The Spice Station myself, I can tell you that they carry spices from all over the world. Not just spices from India or the standard spices you can get a grocery store. Being a novice cook myself, The Spice Station staff were very helpful with recipes I already used, introduced me to spices that jazz-up my ordinary recipes and made them into gourmet ones. You will never get that type of service from Jon’s. To me, The Spice Station’s products and services were priceless.

[Lars]

This is place is cute, but I don't see how it's a better deal than Jon's and India's Sweets and Spices in Atwater. Both have really fresh spices at very low prices.
And anyone in Southern California buying dried basil needs a brain-check.

How about a price comparison?