Closed German restaurant chef opens new restaurant in Berkeley

In February, Anja Voth, the chef and owner of the German-Californian hybrid restaurant Gaumenkitzel in Berkeley, taped a note in the restaurant’s window announcing the restaurant’s closure at the end of March after 13 years. When Nosh contacted Voth about the closure, she was too distraught to give a phone interview.

“We have enjoyed our daily conversations with you, the friendly greetings called out to us from across the street, the shared joy of watching the beautiful monarch butterflies feeding on milkweed in our little side garden, and countless other fond memories,” the final statement said.

Now, six months later, Voth has put up a new sign in the window of the former Garden Variety store at 1966 University Avenue and is thrilled to share it. The sign reads: “Anja’s – Organic California cuisine with German love. Breakfast & lunch. We look forward to serving you in August!”

While the taste buds as we know them will not return, Anja’s, scheduled to open on or around August 27, will carry on its culinary spirit.

“I’m very happy about it,” said Voth. “The new room is tiny and charming.”

Voth and her husband Kai Flache began difficult discussions about a possible closure of Gaumenkitzel around Christmas last year. They had difficulty finding and retaining staff for the restaurant, they said in their closing statement, and they wanted to sell the business when it was still doing relatively well.

At the time, Voth said, “Opening a smaller home for Gaumenkitzel and friends would be great, and I’m exploring my options.” And she meant it. Even before Gaumenkitzel closed its doors, she spread the word that she was looking for a smaller place.

In April, the sale of Gaumenkitzel was completed and the keys were handed over to the new owner.

“It’s like leaving a house you’ve lived in for a long time,” she said. “It was like a new chapter.”

She never doubted that it would reopen in some form. The very next day she began actively searching.

As it turns out, her landlord had opened up a space at Gaumenkitzel. And oddly enough, not only is the address the year Voth was born, but Voth had also looked at it years ago when she was getting ready to open Gaumenkitzel.

“At that point, I wasn’t ready for that smaller apartment, so I passed on it,” she said. “But going back there now feels like fate.”

Unlike Gaumenkitzel, which was a full-service restaurant, Anja’s will be fast-casual. There is only 10 to 14 seats inside, but there is a rose garden with additional seating in the back that will be shared with neighboring restaurants.

In May, they negotiated the lease and in June, they signed. Voth said they could have moved in immediately, but since Flache works in construction, she wanted to make the most of the small space. They didn’t really build, but rather renovated, bought new appliances and customized the space as best as they could to fit their needs.

“My husband and I maxed out every inch,” she said. “We even climbed up so it’s now a perfect kitchen and mini bakery space.”

Initially, Anja’s will focus on breakfast and lunch. Voth promises “the same attention to detail and organic, local and animal-friendly ingredients as at Gaumenkitzel.” Many dishes from there will be back on the menu, such as her homemade granola, muffins and porridge for breakfast and her hearty soups and fresh salads for lunch.

Other lunch dishes will be potato-based. A common German preparation, she said, is boiled potatoes served with sour herb cream and linseed oil, with an egg, smoked salmon or other proteins such as smoked pork fillet.

Spätzle, German egg noodles, used to be a staple at Gaumenkitzel, but now she lacks the space to make them regularly, so she reaches back to her childhood and makes a German version of macaroni, with onions and cheese and maybe a horseradish sauce.

In a few months, she plans to open for dinner two nights a week and serve some of Gaumenkitzel’s most popular dishes, such as pork schnitzel and various fish and seafood dishes.

“In general, the dishes will not be as heavy as before,” she said.

Her liquor license has been approved, and Anja’s will serve German beer and wine. Since the new location on University Avenue means more walk-in traffic, Voth expects more people to stop by just for a cookie or a slice of cake, so she’ll have baked goods on hand throughout the day.

She has hired one member of her former Gaumenkitzel team to work at Anja’s for now and will wait to see how many fit into her new kitchen before adding more.

Although Voth wants to relax for a few days before the opening, she is already looking forward to seeing her old customers again.

“This is what I love and I’m going to keep doing this until I can’t anymore because it makes me really happy,” she said. “I love making food, feeding people, working with my suppliers and the whole team aspect, I really love all of it.”

Anja’s, 1966 University Ave., is open Tuesday through Saturday. Breakfast is served from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.