Tried It Tuesday – Potatopia!

 

I am really excited to be linking up today with my Lake Shore Runner-friend Sara’s Tried It Tuesday Series.

The whole point of Tried It Tuesday is to broaden your horizon, try something new to you and then talk about it!

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For quite some time now, I have been meaning to try out Potatopia, which you may recall me mentioning since it opened fairly recently (right next to Maoz!) in the “Dining District” at Roosevelt Field (our local mall).

maoz-potatopia

Last week became the perfect time to finally order up some potatoes since I was in the midst of my major potato craving spree.

Meet my LOADED baked sweet potato creation…

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So many topping piled on top that you can’t even tell there is a baked sweet potato underneath it all!

It actually looks more like mashed sweet potato but it isn’t.

potatopia

So it works like this:

You have your choice of just going with a Signature Meal created by the Potato Experts….

potatopia signature menu

OR being a little bit high maintenance and building your own by following a series of potato creating steps.

Potatopia Menu

Of course we needed to build our own potatoes and test the potato man’s patience as we contemplated, debated and changed our minds on the toppings over and over again until we got it right.

potatopia

Don’t ask me exactly what my son ordered over there…All I know is that he went with mashed potatoes which I wasn’t thrilled about because I wanted him to get the thick cut chips, shoestring, waffle or curly fries just so we could share and have fun.

I didn’t want mashed potatoes but he didn’t care what I wanted.

Anyway, tons of toppings. Tons of proteins. Tons of options.

potatopia toppings

I tried the Vegetarian Chili but I didn’t get it on my potato. It was okay, nothing special.

potatopia toppings bar

I went with mixed peppers, broccoli, roasted mushrooms, marinated tomatoes, roasted corn and I think the cole slaw.

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And a few dipping sauces.

potatopia with sauces

I did not get any cheese. I don’t love cheese, did you know that?

The Potatopia Positive:

  • Major variety
  • Lots of protein choices (chicken, steak, beef, shrimp, bacon, pork)
  • Vegetarian protein options too (chili and cheese)
  • The protein options help to make Potatopia a complete meal rather than just a fun side dish
  • Everything is customizable
  • I like that they offer baked potatoes in addition to the fried and mashed

 

The Potatopia Negative:

  • I didn’t see the portion size of the fried varieties but the baked potatoes were not as giant as you would expect. In fact, the guy gave me two sweet potatoes to fill the plate and told me the sweet potatoes were larger than the regular potatoes they had on hand which I found odd.
  • They don’t have avocado. Or guacamole <- Like, what?! How do you not involve avocado in your potato bar?
  • They need sautéed onions as a topping option. And onion rings!
  • Even though they have a vegetarian chili, I think they should offer more bean options for vegetarians and vegans (black beans, chick peas etc.) because I didn’t really like the chili, didn’t want cheese and ended up without protein. Oops.
  • I really liked my potato bowl…but I missed Maoz and kept gazing on over to their counter.

Maoz

I had to get myself a Maoz side salad. I couldn’t leave the mall without my favorite roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

Next up on my list of places to try in the dining district will be The Little Beet.

So far I have only stopped at The Little Beet for samples but they don’t let you sample their sweet potatoes (trust me, I tried) and they look way too good to never experience.

The Little Beet Sweet Potatoes

Be sure to check out what everyone else is trying for Tried It Tuesday!

I finally tried Potatopia! Check out my review #potatopia #triedittuesday #potatoes @scranberry33 Click To Tweet

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Are you a mashed potato, baked potato or fried potato lover?

Favorite food court food to order?

What are you craving lately?

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Comments

  2. says

    Seriously no avocado? That should have been the red flag right there. What kind of establishment doesn’t offer the best healthy fat there is? Sigh. I’m sure you were tempted to go back to Maoz (which I still have YET to go to), but at least now you know that you’re a tried and true devotee and know Maoz will probably win every time.
    Jillie recently posted…It’s a Rocky Road – Life Post Whole30My Profile

    • says

      You know, I didn’t mention the price which means it didn’t bother me! I am such a stickler when it comes to bang for the buck. This was definitely within line with what I would expect to be charged. Not too pricey at all for what they serve.

  7. says

    I’m not a huge fan of potatoes, which disappoints my Irish husband and his family to no end (although I drink enough Guinness to make up for it). If I’m hungry and feeling carby, I’d way rather have bread and butter. I love Chinese food at food courts. That’s my thing.
    Suzy recently posted…Abraham Lincoln Had a Step MomMy Profile

  9. says

    The lack of vegetarian options is a pity but other than that your meal looks great. There’s this chain called ‘Mr. Kumpir’ in a city close to where I live and they offer essentially the same concept: a humungous potato stuffed with your choice of toppings and sauce. They have a menu with pre-selected vegetarian and one vegan ‘kumpir’ [among several meat options] but I always create my own. I’ll have to check to see if they offer guacamole or avocado next time around.
    Miss Polkadot recently posted…Good good links #85My Profile

    • says

      I have tried the Japanese sweet potatoes but I don’t see them enough at my local stores to get them on a regular basis. I need to get to Whole Foods, they usually sell them.

  11. says

    Geez! Your mall has some awesome food choices. My mall is going through some upgrades, but right now there are not very many good options.
    I am definitely a baked potato lover, and have been eating them like crazy this past month.
    Shannon recently posted…Three Bean Vegetarian ChiliMy Profile

  12. says

    Looks interesting! I like potatoes in any form, but my very favorite is a baked sweet potato with blue cheese crumbles on top – yes, I know I’m weird 🙂

    I absolutely adore Chick Fil A – that’s my favorite mall food court option. Asian chicken salad with a side of waffle fries – Amazing!
    Molly @ Motherhood and Marathons recently posted…No Place I’d Rather BeMy Profile

  13. says

    Hadn’t seen any negatives until you mentioned them, then I was like yeah, that’s right… and yep, that too! Hahaha, sounds great though! 🙂

  15. says

    Potatopia sounds like a dream come true for me, although I’d want some other veggie friendly protein options too, like black beans. Then again, I’d probably make due with all the cheese. 🙂

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