16 August 1 -7, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents This Spuds for You (And You! ) A new South Dallas ghost kitchen is making big waves with the humble baked potato. BY NICK REYNOLDS T he humble baked potato: You take a potato, bake it, toss on some butter, cheese, chives, sour cream and bacon bits. Pretty straightforward, no? Yeah, tell that to Sheena Marie Scott and the patrons of South Dallas’ The POT Baked Potato Bar. Scott owns the takeout and deliv- ery-only ghost kitchen where she is redefin- ing the age-old concept of the humble baked potato. How’s this for a baked potato? Salmon and jumbo shrimp in a crawfish cream sauce topped with Cajun seasoning on a bed of cheddar cheese. Or, there’s the house cream sauced and seasoned baked potato with grilled ribeye, onion, bell pepper, mush- rooms, butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. These are just a couple of examples of what you’ll find at The POT Baked Potato Bar. “I came up with the idea of opening a po- tato bar in 2010. I’m in love with every type of potato there is, and I spoke the vision into existence,” Scott told the Observer. “I didn’t really have an interest in cooking growing up, either. But my aunt would always call me into the kitchen to help, and by the age of 12, I was already cooking fried chicken, collard greens, butter beans and ham hocks. And ev- erything from scratch – no box meals.” Scott arrived in Dallas from Milwaukee in 2020 and has been working toward her vision of a potato-based ghost kitchen since 2013. She was unemployed then and had just had her second child. “I didn’t have the capital or the credit, but I knew somehow, someway, it would work out. When I relocated to Dallas, I put my plan in place and opened what is now known as The POT Baked Potato Bar at the Frisco Fresh Market,” said Scott. “However, the location was only allowed operations on the weekends. Fast forward to 2024, and we relocated to South Dallas, where we can share our vision with everyone five days a week.” The recipes at The POT Baked Potato Bar are entirely from Scott’s imagination. “Creating meals in my head and putting them on a plate is my thing. I have a knack for creating delicious combinations that I know will work,” she says. “I was always the go-to friend for cookouts and get-togethers be- cause family and friends trusted that what- ever I would come up with would be a hit. To this day, I just love cooking and watching my food put a smile on someone’s face.” We grabbed a couple of baked potato dishes (and a refreshing blueberry mint lem- onade) after speaking with Scott, who has a smile that will illuminate any room and is about as personable as can be. The weekly special was The Chop Pot ($25), featuring three beautifully marinated lamb chops, seared and resting over a bed of cheese and POT Cajun cream sauce. The Texas Buffalo ($16) comes with grilled chicken and scallions seasoned in The POT’s signature seasoning and drizzled with house buffalo sauce and ranch. Both were utterly superb and left us questioning every other run-of-the-mill baked potato we’ve had in our lives up to this point. And the portions are generous – most should get two meals out of each order. So, what comes next for The POT Baked Potato Bar? “The 75215 Zip Code we’re in, there’s a lack of economic growth, development and employment opportunities. The area has also been titled a food desert. We’ve taken the challenge of planting our roots and pro- viding great quality food, employment and economic growth for the community. As a little girl, I never thought I’d become a busi- ness owner,” Scott said. “I didn’t think I could impact so many lives and create some- thing that could benefit so many others. The POT will also take part in youth develop- ment, and our aim is to become a household name. And I believe the best is yet to come.” The POT Baked Potato Bar, 1639 South Blvd. Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sat- urday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Nick Reynolds | CITY OF ATE | t Dish The owner of The POT Baked Potato Bar, Sheena Marie Scott. Pledge your support of local journalism and get cool perks by becoming a member.
