Drive-Thru Gourmet

New fast-food inspired ice cream is an intriguing blend of french fries and milkshakes

Courtesy photo

This week, I reached out for a pint of Milkshake & Fries Awesome Ice Cream from Coolhaus — the California-based ice cream artisans — available in supermarkets across the country.

Hold on, Milkshake & ... what? Fries?

Okay, I'll bite.

Here's the Milkshake & Fries ice cream breakdown: salted Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, shoestring French fries, and chocolate malt balls.

Yes, there are real, actual McDonald's-style skinny fries packed into the pint. In fact, "shoestring potatoes" are the No. 5 ingredient listed on the carton, behind milk, cream, sugar, and non-fat milk. You get salty fries in every spoonful.

Total calories: 200 (per 1/4-cup serving). Fat grams: 11 g. Sodium: 60 mg. Carbs: 22 g. Dietary fiber: 0 g. Protein: 4 g. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $6.99. Expensive.

Coolhaus was founded in 2008 by Natasha Case and Freya Estrella, who baked cookies and made ice cream at home, bought a clunker van and hit the streets of Southern California. Yadda yadda, a decade later Coolhaus pints and treats are in 6,000 grocery stores across the U.S., plus ice cream trucks patrolling Los Angeles, Dallas, and New York.

Vanilla? Chocolate? How ordinary. Coolhaus makes imaginative and unusual flavors like: Chocolate Molten Cake, Dirty Mint Chip, Campfire S'mores, Salted Caramel, Bananas Foster, Buttered French Toast, and Street Cart Churro Dough. If you can't find 'em in a local supermarket, you can order online.

If Milkshake & Fries is a weird name for ice cream, consider its original name was "Fast Food." Coolhaus says the flavor was inspired by "the genius idea to dip a French fry in a milkshake" to achieve a "magical, ultimate sweet and savory moment."

Yeah, I get it, salty and sweet is a big deal these days. I have seen people, mostly teens, dip fries into their Frosty at Wendy's. But just because you have salty in one hand and sweet in the other, it's not a guaranteed go-together. Bon bons stuffed with anchovies...Russell Stover isn't interested.

Even so, dipping a freshly fried fry into a cool creamy shake is not the same as digging a spoon into old cold fries buried in hard ice cream.

But Coohaus is trying, good for them. Next time, take home a pint of Chocolate Molten Cake. That's your smart play. I found a piece of chocolate in my pint bigger than a Chunky Bar.

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Ken Hoffman reviews a new fast food restaurant item every Wednesday. Have a suggestion or a drive-thru favorite? Let Ken know in the comments or on Twitter.

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Sobering statistic

Texas ranks as one of the deadliest states for New Year’s crashes

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Be sure to arrange a safe ride home on New Year's Eve.

At more than 314,000 miles, Texas boasts the largest system of public roads among the 50 states. It also holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the deadliest states for New Year’s car accidents.

An analysis of 2014-2023 traffic data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows Texas is the ninth worst state for traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

During the 10-year period covered by the analysis, commissioned by AutoAccident.com, Texas tallied 280 traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — the highest total of any state. The 280-person toll in Texas works out to 9.61 deaths per one million residents, a rate that’s 37 percent above the national average of 6.99 deaths per one million residents.

The analysis reveals that nearly three-fourths (64 percent) of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traffic deaths in Texas were drivers, nearly one-fifth (19 percent) were pedestrians, and 16 percent were passengers.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights on American roads,” says Edward Smith, managing attorney at AutoAccident.com, a personal injury law firm.

“With impaired driving incidents spiking during holiday celebrations, every driver has a responsibility to make smart choices that protect themselves and others sharing the road,” Smith adds. “Even in states with strong safety records, one preventable death is too many.”

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than 2,000 drunk driving-related crashes happened during the 2024 holiday season. Last year, December ranked as the No. 1 month in Texas for wrecks caused by drunk drivers.

“The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family, and yet they can also be a painful reminder for those who have lost loved ones to preventable crashes,” says Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT. “Let’s make a new holiday tradition to drive like a Texan: kind, courteous, and safe. That means always getting a sober ride.”

TxDOT offers these four tips for staying safe on the roads as the calendar switches from 2025 to 2026:

Designate a sober driver before the celebrations start.
Ask a sober relative or friend to pick you up if you’re too tipsy to drive.
Use public transit or rideshare services.
Stay off the roads until you’ve sobered up.

traffic fatalities crime holidays new year's day new years eve traffic