That is a poorly plated presentation by that particular restaurant. I have had the same dish in the past, but it was not presented like that.

My issue with some restaurants is that they present their side dish of mashed potatoes without saying they are actually "smashed" meaning they have the skins in them. I do not like eating the skins of the potato (it's a texture issue with me) so I usually send it back or if I am not that hungry just let them toss it. I am not about to spend the energy to pick through them to take out the skins.

Now I see the calorie content that some have posted in their replies. I really don't care how many calories I consume and I do not track it like a lot of "healthy" people do. I want to enjoy what I eat, when I eat, and let it be known that I have lost over 100 lbs. since 2009. I don't eat this type of dish every day, more like once a month so I will consume a lot of calories when I want to, but with my activity level at my current job, I will work it off pretty quickly.