Potchke deli named one of the best new restaurants by Southern Living
Potchke, a Jewish deli downtown named after the Yiddish word that means to “fuss around in the kitchen,” is living up to its name, because Southern Living is fussing about Potchke – in the best way possible.
Southern Living named the New-York-style Jewish deli with a Floridian twist as one of the South’s best new restaurants of 2023. The lifestyle magazine praised owners and life partners Laurence Faber and Emily Williams for their culinary resumes, and for creating a menu so good it turned a limited pop-up deli into a Knoxville fixture.
“During the height of pandemic lockdowns, Williams explored Faber’s Jewish heritage through babka baking. One thing led to another, and the pair ended up spending most of the fall of 2021 traveling through Ukraine and Moldova to explore Jewish cuisine more deeply,” the magazine wrote.
“The menu at Potchke changes often, but you can always expect respectfully interpreted takes on traditional flavors: borscht accompanied by garlic pampushki rolls, bialys draped in reddish-pink lox, and blintzes filled with vanilla-lemon farmers’ cheese,” Southern Living continued.
Southern Living highlights 24 other restaurants on the list, including International Market in Nashville. The magazine’s editors evaluated the restaurants on food, service, hospitality, and how the restaurant supports and treats its staff and the wider community.
Just last month, Southern Living named Knoxville's Ye Olde Steak House on Chapman Highway as one of the 30 "most legendary" steak houses in the South.
A deli with delicious food and purpose
Located in the Regas building on Gay Street, Potchke began as a pop-up in 2022. Faber and Williams announced in January 2023 the deli would remain at the location for another year after developing a loyal customer base.
"I don't think we realized how much a Jewish gathering space, like (a) community eating space, was lacking in Knoxville. That's such an important place for people," Williams told Knox News in January.
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Potchke also received recognition in a New York Times article not only for its food, but for the owners’ effort in raising aid for Ukraine after Russia invaded the country last year. By selling borscht, a traditional Ukrainian beet soup, and through other fundraising events, Potchke raised $27,000, which was donated to several organizations.
"That was what was going on at the moment, and that's where our heart was, and why we were cooking," Faber told Knox News earlier this year. "And it gave us inspiration and gave us something to power through.”
Faber previous worked at Blackberry Farm. Williams previously worked at J.C. Holdway and Emilia.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Southern Living names Potchke in Knoxville among 2023 best restaurants
