Three-way

Photo: Kate Cole

The U.N. recently declared 2008 “The Year of the Potato,” pushing the spud as a remedy for world hunger. And while we don’t take its abundance for granted here in the States, we’re bored with the usual suspects. So was Sweets and Savories chef David Richards, so he created “the ultimate baked potato.” The vaselike skin is fried in duck fat then baked before being stuffed with mashed potatoes flavored with white truffle oil and lobster stock. Whole chunks of lobster claw and tail meat and a spray of fresh chives complete the package. (1534 W Fullerton Ave, 773-281-6778.)

Photo: Kate Cole

Creating an optical illusion out of a potato is only one of a few tricks the Moto team has up its sleeves. The “M.C. Escher Ball in a Box” is an open box, tediously carved from a single Yukon gold potato, encasing a loose ball-shaped potato just large enough to rattle around without escaping. Frying alternately at high and low temperatures produces perfect golden crispness. Salted and served alongside maitake mushrooms and roasted quail, the seemingly simple starch is elevated to its namesake’s mind-bending art. (945 W Fulton Mkt, 312-491-0058.)

Photo: Kate Cole

“They’re so popular, we can’t take them off the menu,” says chef John Peters of the sweet-potato doughnuts at Powerhouse. The enduring favorite relies on sweet potatoes to add a lightly sweet moistness to the dough, which is fried to order and nestled atop rich cinnamon zabaglione. The Tater Tot–size fritters are dusted in cinnamon sugar then sprinkled with candied pears and salty toasted pepitas, exemplifying unpretentious creativity rooted in familiarity. (215 N Clinton St, 312-928-0800.)