It looks like a baked potato smothered in sour cream, but this Idaho-born dish is actually a dessert, and it’s blowing minds online. Dubbed the “ice cream potato,” the illusion is as convincing as it is confusing. There’s no actual potato involved in the $6.69 treat. Instead, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is molded into a spud-like shape, rolled in unsweetened cocoa powder to mimic russet skin, then topped with a swirl of whipped cream to resemble sour cream. Cookie crumbles are sprinkled over the top to imitate dirt, and some versions even sit in a shallow puddle of chocolate syrup for extra drama. It’s part of the growing trend of “fake-out” cuisine — foods designed to look like something they’re not. Nowhere is the ice cream potato more iconic than in Idaho, the state responsible for nearly a third of America's potato crop. Idahoans can indulge in the famous ice cream potato at the city’s nostalgic Westside Drive-In, where the quirky dessert has been served for more than 30 years. Owner and chef Lou Aaron learned of the concept from a fellow chef decades ago and brought it to Boise, where it quickly became a fan favorite. It’s such a hit that the restaurant sells about 1,000 of the creations each month, and more than 10,000 during the 9-day Western Idaho Fair.
