Knoxville, Tennessee — When Russia invaded Ukraine, the first reaction of Lawrence Faber and Emily Williams was to cook borscht.The Ukrainian flag had not yet spread throughout the American lawn landscape, and PottkerThe couple’s Ukrainian deli wasn’t open yet in this eastern city of Tennessee.
They cooked the soup in response to the fear of overtaking a peaceful country that fell in love last summer and autumn. They spent nearly two months in Ukraine studying the food and the history of Mr. Faber’s family.
“We couldn’t do anything,” Faber said. “We owe the country very much.”
Life and business partners Faber and Williams sold Borsch in a fundraiser three days after the start of the war in February, raising over $ 5,000 and donating it to Ukrainian charities and friends.
With the debut of Potchke, which officially opened in mid-March, this benefit has doubled. This is the biggest project by two promising young restaurant owners whose interest in Ukrainian cuisine precedes the war and is likely to last longer.
Deli is a year-round pop-up that Williams, 27, and Faber, 30, decided to open when space became available in the Old Town district of Knoxville. The couple are planning a modern Ukrainian bistro inspired by travel, so they saw pop-ups as an ideal way to generate income. (Due to a supply chain failure, its opening has been postponed until 2023. Like Potchke, the bistro will include partners Brian and Jessica Strutz. Dopo, A wood-fired pizzeria. )
Mr. Farber and Mr. Williams Babka business She started at their home after losing her restaurant service job at the beginning of the pandemic. Sales were so strong that Faber was forced to quit his job as a pastry chef and help with baking at the famous resort Blackberry Farm near Knoxville in the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Babka is on Pottker’s short, frequently changing menu, along with sophisticated versions of deli staples such as Blintz and Bialy topped with Rocks. Borsch appears in the menu as “borsch