Jun 2, 2007 9:15 am US/Central
Chef Gets Creative With Spuds At Hashbrowns
731 W. Maxwell St.
(312) 226-8000
by Vince Gerasole
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Crispy and savory hash browns might be just what your stomach craves on a leisurely morning.
In this edition of Table for 2, CBS 2's Vince Gerasole went to a breakfast spot on Maxwell Street that serves them up in more ways than you might imagine.
Hashbrowns is in the section of town that is known historically for the legendary Maxwell Street Market, and has attracted a smorgasbord of new businesses as the new University Village neighborhood.
Ron Ruffolo started up the breakfast spot, where hip meets casual on the newly-gentrified strip.
From varieties that are shredded to others that are diced – and even some that are baked until bubbly, Ruffolo serves up four different types of hash browns.
The quest for just the right recipe took Ruffolo on a culinary journey.
"I went all over the city. At all the breakfast houses I'd seen all hash browns with just plain regular hash browns," Ruffolo said. "Then just for some reason, I thought of sweet potato hash browns."
Shredded into shoestrings, the sweet potato version is grilled with onions and sprinkled with kosher salt. It is now Hashbrowns' house specialty.
Mix in some Idaho potatoes, garlic and Romano cheese, and the result is the Hashbrowns combo plate. Dice the potatoes and grill them with garlic and rosemary, and the hash browns take on an Italian flavor.
The fourth variety is known as the Killer. It includes Idaho potatoes oven baked with cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream, and topped with crunchy corn flakes.
For the indecisive, Ruffolo serves them all together in a hash brown combo platter.
Diners can also enjoy the hash browns alongside sizable omelets whose names pay tribute to Chicago neighborhoods, like the Bridgeport with steak or the Maxwell Street with Polish sausage.
Overall, Vince found the food at Hashbrowns "spud-tacular." Its atmosphere is urban chic, with hash brown sides priced at about $3 and omelets at about $8.
While he loves the taste, Ruffolo admits that the hash browns have also helped him grow.
"I gained about 20 pounds since I've been open with Hashbrowns," he said.
Hashbrowns is located at 731 W. Maxwell St. They are open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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