BOISE, Idaho — When the cashier handed me what looked like a potato surrounded by chocolate syrup and a giant dollop of whipped cream on top, I couldn’t help but audibly mutter a phrase that starts with “what the …” and ends with a word I can’t publish. I’ll let you guess that one.
As for the rest, much to my relief — but only after digging my spoon in — I realized that it was not a potato, but vanilla ice cream covered in cocoa powder.
If that’s not Idaho, I don’t know what is. Maybe eating an entire basket of crispy finger steaks beforehand would make the experience even more authentic.
I should know, because finger steaks and potato ice cream are exactly what I ate just last week at the iconic Westside Drive In in downtown Boise.
Since moving to the United States from England at age 14, I’d heard jokes about Idaho’s close association with potatoes. I didn’t fully grasp the truth behind the quips until I relocated from Kansas City to Boise just over a year ago to be a reporter at the Idaho Statesman. I’ve learned on the job that the Idaho potato is important. In fact, potatoes are Idaho’s largest farm cash income, bringing over $1.3 billion into the state in 2022 alone.
Even as I was writing this paragraph, I received an email from the Idaho Potato Commission about the best recipes to make with potatoes. To be fair, February is Potato Lover’s Month.
As I’ve integrated myself into the life of Idaho (you might have read about my experiences with Boise’s soccer culture), I’ve tried everything from cross-country skiing at Bogus Basin to sampling the area’s many microbreweries — Payette Brewing’s Sofa King Sunny Hazy Pale Ale reigns king in my mind.
As for food adventures, I’m still making discoveries. I’d never heard of finger steaks until seeing a viral TikTok from Boise chef Jonathon Merrick that now has over 390,000 views. I later interviewed him on how to make the popular meat treats. Along the way, I learned that the delicacy is native to Idaho and was created here in Boise.
I’ve tried finger steaks since seeing that video — The Sandbar on the Boise Greenbelt does a tasty version. But I figured I should also see what the renowned Westside Drive In has to offer. This is a place so famous for their delicious slices of fried meat that Guy Fieri visited in 2009.
I’m in love with Idaho finger steaks, and I feel fine
The original Westside Drive In opened on State Street in 1957, while the newer Parkcenter Boulevard location opened in 2012. Chef Lou Aaron purchased the original location in 1994, according to previous Statesman reporting, and opened the Parkcenter Boulevard location with his son, Josh.
Aaron previously told the Statesman that he “wanted to keep the ‘50s feel of the place,” and thank goodness he did, because it’s absolutely perfect.
Pink neon lights on the ceiling cast a soft glow over the small diner, and an old-school illuminated menu hangs above the open windows that look into the large kitchen, sparking hints of fond nostalgia from decades past. The walls are lined with pictures and posters of 1950s bands and celebrities. A large TV set on the wall is surrounded by decorative wheel plates that show old live performances from the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll.
Fittingly, during my visit to the diner for lunch last week, they played hits from legendary Liverpool band The Beatles — “Help!” and “Hello, Goodbye” played while I ordered my food and got comfy in a booth. By the time there was a basket full of thick finger steaks and seasoned tots in front of me, I was jamming along to “I Feel Fine.”
“… I’m in love with her, and I feel fine …”
I was undoubtedly in love with something: the finger steaks.
The finger steaks I’ve eaten elsewhere were also delicious, but more thickly coated. Either that, or the entire piece of steak would pull out when I took a bite, leaving behind an empty shell of fried coating.
But not at Westside Drive In. The deep-fried coating was the perfect thickness, and the steak inside had the perfect tenderness; each bite was the ideal mix of crunchy and succulent.
Thankfully, they give you so many that I couldn’t finish my tots, saving room for the pièce de résistance …
Chef Lou’s World Famous Idaho Ice Cream Potato.
The most Idaho thing I’ve ever seen
I’d heard the rumors before. A soccer teammate once mentioned a diner serving potatoes with ice cream as a dessert. He didn’t expand on it, and it left me wondering. Bewildered, even.
You could say because of that, I was prepared when the server handed me a potato with whipped cream on top, but nothing can prepare you for a potato with whipped cream on top.
I mean … look at it.
But hey, when in Idaho…
I started cautiously. I ate a little whipped cream with chocolate chunks and some crushed nuts. So far, so good.
But now came the potato plunge. I heard an elderly couple also order the potato ice cream while I was still contemplating eating mine; they seemed confident in their choice, so surely it had to be good?
I took to the potato with my spoon. It was surprisingly hard, forcing me to put some muscle into the endeavor. Just as I expected: white on the inside, like a potato. But it was now or never. Dipping my spoonful of potato into the chocolate syrup, I lifted it to my mouth and took my first bite.
Relief. I had been bamboozled. It was just vanilla ice cream.
But not just that, it was delicious. While only vanilla ice cream on the inside, the cocoa powder — which seemed to have a slightly nutty flavor — and chocolate syrup was a great combination of simple but wonderful flavors.
It didn’t take me long to finish the whole thing, and paired with the massive portion of finger steaks, I was set for the rest of the day. My mission was complete, and I officially ate the most Idahoan meal possible.
And I absolutely was not disappointed.
