Emily Williams & Laurence Faber of Potchke Bagel: Crafting a Southern Jewish Food Revival in Knoxville
Thanks to Laurence Faber and Emily Williams, the owners of Potchke Deli and the newly launched Potchke Bagel, the Southern city of Knoxville, Tennessee is quickly earning a spot on the map for lovers of Jewish cuisine. It all started as a pandemic project: a home-based babka business that grew into Potchke Deli, a brick-and-mortar space celebrated by USA Today, Bon Appetit, and The New York Times. What followed was a journey that proved both the resilience of tradition and the excitement of introducing old-world flavors to new audiences. Laurence and Emily joined Bagel Ambassador Sam Silverman on BagelFest’s Bagel Buzz Instagram Live series to discuss bringing their Jewish roots to the South.
Planting Deli Roots in Unexpected Soil
According to Laurence, the question was never really about whether Knoxville was ready for deli culture but rather, “if we were ready to kind of put our food out into the world.” The duo initially planned for something more fine dining, leveraging Laurence’s pedigree from Blackberry Farm, but found themselves drawn back to their roots through a mixture of pop-ups, nostalgia, and a serendipitous rediscovery of family recipes from Ukraine and Moldova.
Their pop-up-turned-deli was unexpectedly embraced by a diverse crowd: older New Yorkers, hip local twenty-somethings, and families all mingling over knishes, bialys, and babka. Emily notes, “Everybody has a place in their heart for Jewish deli food... It's such a part of American culture that's comfortable, but it’s been dying.”
A Southern Take on the Bagel Tradition
Somewhat poetically, the Potchke team only started making bagels after years of repeated customer requests—and only after their pastry program outgrew the deli kitchen, forcing them to find a larger space.
But these weren’t just any bagels. Laurence and Emily approached the bagel with the same spirit of innovation and respect for tradition as the rest of their menu. They hand-roll each bagel, boil them with malt syrup, employ burlap-covered boards (just like in the best New York bakeries), but use a dough with jaw-dropping hydration: 68%. For comparison, most New York bagels are well below 55%.
This yields a bagel with the process of New York, the lightness of LA, and the soul of Knoxville. Something neither entirely traditional nor trendy, but uniquely their own.
Cultivating New Traditions
One of Potchke’s hallmarks is its extensive, inclusive menu. Whether you’re a lifelong lover of Ashkenazi food or a first-timer, the deli and bagel shop are designed to welcome everyone. Emily points out, “We’ve designed the menu to cast a wider net... so that anybody can come into Potchke Deli and enjoy it,” emphasizing everything from tried-and-true brisket to innovative spins like avocado toast on pletzel bread.
Perhaps most rewarding is watching new traditions take root. Local Knoxville children are growing up with bialys and babka in their vocabularies, which was an unimaginable scene just a few years ago.
More Than Just Bagels
After winning over Knoxville, Emily and Laurence are bringing their creations to the national stage at New York BagelFest, competing alongside top makers from around the globe. Their story—steeped in history, family, and the willingness to “make a fuss” (the true meaning of “potchke”)—reflects the evolving narrative of Jewish-American food.
“It’s not the water. It’s the technique, and the people,” Laurence says. For Potchke, it’s also about love, experimentation, and the courage to introduce something new, wherever you are.
If you find yourself in Knoxville, don’t miss the chance to witness this Southern revival firsthand. The “Knoxville Bagel” just might be the thing everyone’s making a fuss over next.
Check out Potchke’s website and Instagram.
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