Ryan R.
Yelp
After reading Berkeleyside's article earlier this month about Anja's, the new cafe named after the chef and owner of the now closed Gaumenkitzel, I put it on my calendar to walk over and check out the food.
(I always meant to dine at Gaumenkitzel, but just never made it over.)
I neglected to take a pic of the menu posted in the window, but it had breakfast items such as oatmeal, muesli, and I think yogurt & granola parfait. The menu also had different salads and at least one soup. (Some items were marked coming soon. Today was their opening day.)
I make myself granola & yogurt at home, and wasn't in the mood for a salad, but some pastries inside caught my eye before I could walk on. I think it was Anja's husband who warmly greeted me, and offered me samples when I was trying to decide on a pastry. I tried a sample of their almond cookie, which I have a weakness for in general, and it was incredibly soft, and definitely a winner.
I ended up getting the "Vanilla-Cinnamon Almond Cookie" ($3.50), and "Egg & Golden Potato Muffin" ($5). (The muffin is essentially a sizable quiche bite. They had some with gruyere and one with cheddar.) There were also two types of bar cookies in the case, apple and poppy seed.
The space had a some seats in the front, offering a nice spot to enjoy a light lunch.
Anja made eye contact with me from her work spot at a food counter in the open kitchen and wished me a happy Tuesday. She was very warm and welcoming. I'll definitely be back to try more of their pastries, and I'll bring friends next time!