From a glance, Barcomi's poses as the success story of an expat whose cheesecake may be above the norm. But if you look closely and delve further into her mixed background of Polish and Jewish New Yorker roots, her cafe and the food it serves could not be more in sync with Berlin and greater Germany's own culinary past.
After all, it was the Jews from Eastern Europe that shaped much of Germany's food culture in the late 13th century, introducing a variety of baking techniques - a majority of which are still used today. And it was Jewish German immigrants who later established New York's famous deli culture and penchant for pastrami reubens, dill pickles, challah bread, and sauerkraut.
Barcomi comes from both food cultures and her shop that doubles as a cafe and deli embodies both pasts. So the next time you saunter by Barcomi's in Mitte or Kreuzberg, treat yourself to a slice of kuchen or a hearty reuben, and think fondly of how food more and gentwin who and where we are. Gianna Banducci, a baker and food writer in the Bay area, co-wrote this blog.