This 25-flavor potato chip brand is ‘coolest thing made in Idaho.’ It’s not sold in Boise

Crunching into Ketchup & Fries flavor from Atomic Potato Chip Co., my son’s eyes widen.

“That is good,” Nicholas says. “Yeah, ketchup. They taste like the fries in the lodge at Bogus Basin.”

Devouring a second chip, he starts waving his arms in stunned protest.

“That one tastes like McDonald’s fries!” he insists. “There’s variations.”

“Give me another one,” he says, lunging toward the bag. “I’ll tell you what it is.”

… “Westside Drive-In!” he declares triumphantly.

I’m too busy laughing — and munching — to argue. It’s the subtle seasoning-quantity difference on each chip, he decides.

Maybe my 14-year-old fast foodie could get hired as a test-lab taster at Atomic’s booth in Nampa this weekend.

A husband-and-wife operation from Arco, Atomic Potato Chip Co. will be one of more than 100 vendors Friday through Sunday at Vintage Market Days. The show takes place at the Ford Sports Center (next to the Ford Idaho Center’s horse park). This will be the third year for Atomic owners Don and Joanna Tarner.

Made by hand weekly with Idaho russets, Atomic’s specialty chips are not sold in Boise. You can only order by mail. Or hunt them down at farmers markets and regional shows.

But, increasingly, the secret is out.

All of Atomic’s potato chips start with the same basic recipe: Idaho russets, peanut oil, Redmond Real sea salt from Utah (except the Naked and Free unsalted chip).

Then the seasoning creations can get wild.

Ready to sample some Peanut Butter and Jelly chips? Or Sal’s Brooklyn Pizza? Maybe Deep Fried Dill Pickle? (Pungent and addictive, trust me.) Or, if you’re a tater purist, Salt Lake Plain chips: potatoes, peanut oil and a light dusting of the pink salt. Perfection.

Atomic concocts 25 flavors — including a handful of tortilla chip options — with “more in the pipeline,” Don says. They’re bringing over half to sell in Nampa.

For any true Idahoan, this is a slice of starchy heaven. “We don’t want a kettle,” Don says. “Or a ripple, which we don’t do, either, because we don’t like them.”

Each large, rich chip is like nibbling into a cross-section of the state’s most famous export. The thickness is a “1930s, ’40s, ’50s cut,” Don says. So simple, so fresh. And in the case of Buttery Garlic Sweet Onion, so freakin’ tasty.

‘Coolest thing made in Idaho’

Maybe that’s why Atomic was named 2021’s “Coolest Thing Made in Idaho,” an annual honor bestowed by the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance.

Like many of us, the Tarners are proud Idaho transplants. Don is from Pennsylvania. Joanna grew up in Missouri. They came to East Idaho about nine years ago from New York state, Don explains, phoning as the couple hauls their chip load to Nampa.

Eventually, they started experimenting in their home — making unique, high-quality potato chips. Joanna’s background includes professional cooking experience.

“My wife has a gift,” Don says.

Atomic Potato Chip Co. was born. After four years in business, it’s still a two-person operation — but from a commercial kitchen that ships delicious, sometimes quirky chips all over the planet.

In Nampa, shoppers will be able to try every flavor before they buy. A 9-ounce bag will be $8 including tax. You also can order year-round by mail using Atomic’s Facebook page — for $7 including tax, plus shipping. Basically, you text or call. Joanna will even customize the seasoning level in bags of chips. “Aged Cheddar Jalapeno — if somebody wants it hotter, she’ll kick it up,” Don promises.

Atomic chips are available in a few grocery stores in places such as Arco, Hailey and Ketchum, but Boise isn’t likely to get them anytime soon. Idaho Falls is the next goal, Don says.

It’s simple logistics. Shipping. Distribution. Oh, and a married couple who can’t keep up with demand.

“We are above and beyond our capacity to produce,” Don says.

“We do everything by hand. We pick up the potatoes. We store the potatoes. We slice the potatoes. We cook and fry the potatoes.

“For this show, we have over 2,000 bags of product that we’re bringing that we bagged all by hand.”

Atomic’s growing popularity is “wonderful” he says, yet “insanity.”

“The sales part, that’s what I do. The farmers markets and shows. I love the sales end of it. The rest of it is a lot of work. A whole lot of work.”

Chocolate-dipped chips

Help is coming. The Tarners will take a step in a larger-scale direction next year when they set up newly acquired manufacturing equipment. Don is happy to talk a little friendly trash about, say, Lay’s chips — chipping potatoes versus fresh Idaho russets — but ….

“It’s the same machine that’s used by Lay’s for slicing,” he says. “What I can do (by hand) in 45 minutes, this does in probably 10 seconds.”

Atomic will have automated bagging, too, he says.

But not yet. Not this weekend.

Gluttons for punishment, the Tarners are bringing roughly 300 small bags of chocolate-dipped potato chips to sell in Nampa. After all, it’s holiday season. They’ll cost $5 per bag, Don says, “probably five or six chips in the bag. Very labor intensive.”

Last year, those were gone by the start of day two.

“We had a hotel room with a kitchen. We ended up hand-dipping more in the hotel room. That’s how crazy it was.”

Hand-dipping potato chips? Customizing seasonings on individual chip orders?

Atomic might be blowing up. But, clearly, there are two people to blame.

“Yeah, well, what are you gonna do?” Don says with a laugh. “We started something that kind of took off.”