Tin Roof Sundae Named Must Try Food

Potter is taking center stage nationally this week, thank to the Potter Sundry's famous Tin Roof Sundae and its place on a new must-try list from the Food Network.

"The United Plates of America," posted on the Food Network Website, urges travelers not to settle for the same dish at each stop, but to try local flavors offered in each state.

In its list of "50 States of Must Try Food," the network's suggestions for top food attractions range from Chicken and White Barbeque Sauce in Decator, Alabama, to Fry Bread in Lander, Wyoming.

When you reach Nebraska on the list, the network said of the Tin Roof Sundae, "The tiny town of Potter, Nebraska, is home to this big treat, an ice cream sundae that played with sweet and savory combinations long before it became a trend. Harold Dean "Pinky" Thayer came up with the combination, which tops chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce, then a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then warm marshmallow cream. The whole thing gets a sprinkling of skin-on Spanish peanuts. The Potter Sundry in town is the place to get one, and it draws tourists from around the globe to sample the dessert, especially in the summer."

Built in 1916 as a drug store to facilitate the prescription needs of Potter's doctor, the Sundry's claim to fame was an ice cream sundae called a "Tin Roof." The sundae's creation is credited to Harold Dean "Pinky" Thayer, who worked at the soda fountain in his youth. Its name sake is still up for debate by locals, but it is thought to come from the building's type of roof.