There must have been something in the water, or the batter, at the former Fishmonger Café in Woods Hole years ago. Aanjes (pronounced AHN-ya) Larkin’s parents Nathalie Ward and Jonathan Larkin met and fell in love at the restaurant. Years later, Aanjes would meet a cook, Hollis Hershfield, while she worked at the very same establishment, and the two would also fall in love… eventually. After becoming good friends for years, Hollis moved to San Francisco, and three years passed before the pair ran into each other again. When they did, the sparks finally flew. “It was a case of love at first sight after eight years,” Aanjes chuckles at the memory. The pair moved back to Cape Cod, married in Woods Hole, and settled down in Aanjes’ hometown of Falmouth. Today the pair own and operate Devour Artisan Eatery on Main Street in Falmouth. How they got here, like their romance, was anything but straightforward.
While Aanjes and Hollis worked at Osteria La Civetta at the other end of Main Street in Falmouth, Aanjes founded and was leader of the burlesque troop, The Brazen Belles, performing shows around the Cape and the country for ten years, even winning a “Best of Fest” award at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. Aanjes (stage name Pepper Grinds) disbanded the Belles but still organizes a couple of burlesque shows a year with dancers from around the country.
“Hollis and I had always been talking about a restaurant since the day we start dating, and what it would look like,” Aanjes remembers. Having a young daughter, Willa, made operating a restaurant with full dinner service not possible. “So, we settled on a lunch spot but were conflicted at first as to how we’d bring our creativity with lunch.” She goes on to add, “We wanted to bring fine dining food to lunch.”
Coming up with the money to make that dream a reality was a huge challenge. “At the time, we were really living paycheck to paycheck,” she recalls. “So, I jokingly put out on Facebook, ‘Hey, who wants to help me open a restaurant?’” A long-time acquaintance of Aanjes who had been a fan of the Belles reached out, believed in her and Hollis’ vision, and became an investor of what would become Devour Artisan Eatery. That financial backing was crucial, as the location the Hershfields selected, a former Chinese restaurant, would need two to three months of renovations. At first sight, Hollis was unimpressed. “He was like, ‘I don’t know’, but he always trusts in my vision of things, and I convinced him it was the space,” she states. The renovations complete, the vision realized, Devour Artisan Eatery opened its doors on August 9, 2019.
Having grown up in Falmouth, Aanjes knew there was some built-in support. “I knew people would come, but we had to be good because we wanted them to come back,” she laughs. She continues to chuckle at the memory of that first day, “I remember thinking, ‘what, we just open, and people come, and we make them food? That’s how this works?’” And the people did come and have been coming back ever since. “We had what we thought was a successful first day, first month, first six months,” Aanjes explains. “We were coming from a place where we were so broke that anything that was not that, well, we thought we were doing really good.” As Devour became more popular, the definition of “doing really good” would change as revenue improved.
The creativity Aanjes and Hollis put forth is apparent as you step into the space. Comfortable seating with pillows and colorful fringed blankets gives it the feel of a place where you’d want to sit and savor (or devour) your lunch rather than grab and go. It’s got a funky, comfortable flair with a nod to their personal life experiences. A mandolin hangs on the wall – a gift from Aanjes’ dad, Jonathan, who’s a Flamenco and Cajun/Zydeco musician. Corrugated tin and elements of wood all add up to create a memorable experience even before you sink your teeth into some expertly crafted fare with imaginative combinations that are a cut above.
The menu board is filled with mouthwatering sandwiches, bowls, and salads with descriptions unlike any you’ll find elsewhere. Over two years ago, Aanjes recalls, “I said, ‘Wouldn’t be funny if we had these ridiculous descriptions?’” So, now you can order The Betty: “The most bomb diggity crispy fried chicken abreast a tantalizing zesty slaw, betwixt a perfectly toasted torpedo roll”. Or how about the Devour: “Earth shattering smashed tostones submissed by a beautiful bevy of refried beans, aged cheddar cheese and salsa fresca, kissed with Tapatio, snuggled with zesty slaw”. As Aanjes says, “We take what we do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.” The couple decided to add breakfast options when they realized “we’re here prepping for lunch anyway. We might as well be open,” she explains. Now, you can enjoy the Wake and Break: “A duo of fried eggs melted under a blanket of aged cheddar, blessed with a bounty of balsamic arugula, embraced by toasted sourdough”.
Alongside the menu of offerings is a sign of just how connected Aanjes and Hollis are within the community they call home. The “Gift Certificate Out Loud” program is an option for someone to pay in advance for a person they know as a thank you or who just deserves a free lunch. Note cards are taped up with peoples’ names and dollar amounts on them. The “Community Tab” is an ongoing fund people chip into and pay it forward for others (in an anonymous way) who may be struggling with food insecurity. “We’ve reached out to organizations to let them know this is a resource. I’d say we get more donations in the summer, and more people using it in the winter,” Aanjes points out. The tab had climbed to $779 at the time of this writing in early October.
Aanjes and Hollis shared a vision and opened Devour Artisan Eatery. They survived the early days of COVID with the help of family and continued to grow their following. Now, six years later, the pair are eyeing an expansion of hours and offerings. They’ve begun the regulatory process to obtain a liquor license and look to offer small plates and light bites into the evening hours next spring.
At Devour Artisan Eatery, Aanjes and Hollis Hershfield have certainly created a welcoming and funky space. It’s a place where we all are welcome to soak up the vibe while we wolf down some fresh and tantalizing fare.
Devour Artisan Eatery
352 Main Street, Falmouth
devoureatery.com
