“But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, ‘Noman is killing me by fraud! Noman is killing me by force!'”
“‘Then,’ said they, ‘if no man is attacking you, you must be ill; when Jove makes people ill, there is no help for it, and you had better pray to your father Neptune.'”
To this day, the above lines from The Odyssey remain my favorite – I imagine Polyphemus’ fellow Cyclopes making the crazy sign, each rolling a singular eye – hilarious! But, what does this have to do with a hashcapade? Simple. I recently finished reading Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey by Robert V. Camuto and connected Arleta Library Bakery & Cafe, which serves Sicilian Hash! So, the alignment of Homer, Camuto and Arleta for a hashcapade was preordained!
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| Arleta Library is on SE 72nd and Harold, South of SE Foster |
Connor and I arrived right when Arleta opened, 8:30 A.M. and were seated right away. Soaking in the ambiance, I noted the use of recycled doors to separate the dining area from the kitchen, just as Paul mentions in Breakfast in Bridgetown. The sun was streaming in the east facing window, giving the cafe a lovely warmth and charm. While Jem or similar music was playing in the background, my cup of joe, decorated with a butterfly, arrived. Butterflies, and zebras and moonbeams and fairy tales – this hashcapade was about to take wing!
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| Recycled doors and shutters give Arleta a funky, comfy vibe |
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| My butterfly mug – I’m going to request each time I return! |
My Sicilian Hash arrived piping hot with scrumptiously crusty, toasted Italian white bread and a lovely shot of strawberry rhubarb jam, which was epic in its own right! The plating was clever – Painted Hills beef, onion and green pepper on the bottom, a chunky mashed red potato patty atop (but offset to) the beef, with a Parmesan cheese egg scramble and roasted red peppers perched on top. Molto bene!!! Noman can resist 😉
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| Arleta’s signature Sicilian Hash |
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| Truly epic toasted Italian white bread with a shot of strawberry rhubarb |
Finally, as if this hashcapade could get any better, I discovered on-line that Arleta owners, Nick and Sarah Iannarone, were featured on FoodNetwork’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. On the episode, Biscuits, Bagels and BLT’s, they made the potato hash and the recipe is online – WOOT!
Happy Hashcapades,
Clark
So glad you stopped by the Food Hound!! I love it- a blog dedicated to hash recipes!! I can't wait to peruse your site and get good ideas!!
I'm glad you liked it!
Clark, I'm glad I'm eating breakfast as I read this, or I would be unbearably hungry right now. As it is, my scrambled eggs are starting to taste slightly inadequate. ; )Delicious post, my friend — thanks for point it out to me! And I love those dividing doors. Excellent creativity!
Courtney,Perhaps some Cholula Hot Sauce on the eggs would help! ;-)I know, cool idea and nice reuse – green!Thank you for checking it out!Happy Hashcapades,Clark