Put a potato dish on a menu and the likelihood that I will order it is pretty near sky high. So it should come as no surprise that at one of the best brunch places in Columbia, the now former @116 Espresso and Wine Bar, I loved their three potato hashbrowns. Yes, three potatoes, which means that is was a flavorful, colorful mess of carby goodness, nestled in chunks of goat cheese! While waiting for the restaurant to re-open under new ownership and see what direction they take it, I took it upon myself to recreate these chunky potato hashbrowns to the best of my memory, and with the help of the 116 menu which remains online.
If you're wondering where to find purple potatoes, look no further than Trader Joe's (purveyor of everything perfect in life), or even these purple potatoes from Publix. These are not purple sweet potatoes, just purple potatoes. At TJ's, they sell them in a bag with red skin potatoes and baby Yukon golds. Grab a bag of those and one sweet potato and you're set to make breakfast for two. Double or triple as needed, this recipe is fairly forgiving and adjustable to tastes.
Three Potato Hashbrowns
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 1 sweet potato peeled and diced in 1" cubes
- 5-7 purple and yellow potatoes diced in 1" cubes
- ½ tbsp butter
- pinch dried thyme and oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-4 sliced jalapenos (optional)
- 2 oz. goat cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the onion.
- Saute the onion for 1 minute, moving around the pan, then add the garlic and bell pepper.
- Saute the vegetables for another 2 minutes, moving them around frequently in the pan with a spatula.
- Add in all of the potatoes, then the butter on top. Move the potatoes around until the butter melts, then turn the heat to medium.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for 10 minutes, flipping occasionally with the spatula. Salt and pepper to taste.
- After 10 minutes, test the doneness of a large piece of potato with a knife. If it pierces easily, it's done and ready to serve.
- Divide the potatoes onto two plates, and use a fork to crumble an ounce of goat cheese over each plate. Top with jalapenos if desired.
- For extra optional protein, add an egg on top, like poached or sunnyside up!
If you're looking for a similar 116 experience without having to cook it yourself, several employees, including kitchen staff, have been hired at SakiTumi, where they are now serving a very 116-esque brunch menu. And it's not as well-known amongst the locals (yet!) so there's not too long of a wait, which is the worst when you're brunch-hungry on a Sunday morning!