October 14, 2011 - 1:11am
Food Wars: Corned beef hash
BY DAILY ARTS STAFF
- Accidental Hedonist via Flickr
Frank’s, 334 Maynard St.
The hash is formed into a patty with a nice texture: soft and tender inside with a nice crust on the outside. The focus is the mashed meat. Some sort of vegetable chunks are visible, but limited. This is unfortunate, because more vegetables might distract from the nagging thought that your plate was accidentally swapped with the dog’s.
Angelo's, 1000 Catherine St.
The potatoes are the star of Angelo’s version of corned beef hash. The meat is delicious, but acts as more of an adornment than an equal one half of the dish. It’s the tinsel, not the tree. It’s a fried mass, crispy on the edges but not too greasy, and it’s all complemented by delicious eggs and the world-famous scrumptuousness that is Angelo’s toast.
Mr. Greek's, 215 South State St.
Corned beef hash isn’t the sexiest food. Most of us would prefer bacon, the prom queen of breakfast meats. Still, like an expensive stylist, Mr. Greek’s does its best with the plain Jane of corned beef, adding a tangy blend of spices and flavorful onions to the beef/hash mixture. It almost works, except every other bite is sort of bland. Add hot sauce.
Fleetwood Diner, 300 South Ashley St.
Technically speaking, Fleetwood Diner’s hippie hash isn’t corned beef hash at all and should be disqualified. But the stuff is just so unflinchingly addictive — the crunchy potatoes, the crispily cooked veggies, that perfect touch of feta — this Ann Arbor staple can’t be left off the hash-lover’s menu. Maybe we don’t live in the best corned beef town, but hippie hash makes up for it.
And the winner is: Fleetwood Diner
Each week, one Ann Arbor staple menu item becomes a battlefield as Daily Arts editors butt heads over which restaurant makes it best. Where should you go for your burger, fro-yo or garden omelette? Daily Arts will fight for the truth.
