Have you successfully re-created a restaurant dish at home?

We used to have fun recreating restaurant meals from Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Recipe books. The kids would pick one every couple weeks and we would make it together. Some were better than others but most had the same overall taste as the restaurant meal.

I often buy a local area cookbook when I travel, or one from a restaurant we visited and have ended up with a few delicious meals from those.

The first think that leaps to mind is I copied/recreated the spinach salad from the Royal House in New Orleans.

Baby spinach with crumbled bleu cheese, dried cranberries, candied pecans, thin slices of granny smith apple, and grilled shrimp.

Although I occasionally add extras like chopped bacon and mandarin orange sections.

DH likes my fish tacos better than the ones we get at our favorite Mexican restaurant,and I didn't even copy theirs, LOL.

Yes I have. Our favourite restaurant has a pork belly signature dish, that pretty much everyone who eats there orders. I bought the restaurant's cookbook and made it myself (total of 6 hours cooking time) and it tasted exactly the same as the restaurant's version. I was so thrilled.

Mind you, I'd prefer to pay $34 and have someone else cook it for me, than spend 6 hours cooking it myself.

Yes!!! an amazing salmon dish with leeks, lentils, pancetta and wilted baby spinach.
I had this dish years ago at a local place, and as I was savoring it said to DH...I can make this!!!!
SO delicious!!

We have a restaurant at our marina that makes fabulous ribs. I asked them how and they said they cooked it very slowly so I found a recipe that makes the ribs very tender by cooking much longer than I normally used to. They only thing I can't replicate quite the same is the sauce.

How do you make the fish tacos?  We get them at the beach and they are so good! 

I make P.F. Chang lettuce wraps all the time. I love them.

I want to be able to figure out Papa Vino's Sizzleini. Dh loved that dish when we had Papa Vinos in our area. I havent found enough information online to even be able to try

I frequently attempt to recreate restaurant meals. I’m usually pretty successful. I enjoy cooking when I have time to do so.

That was me with Panera Broccoli Cheddar soup...it's dd's favorite. I've tried a couple copy cat recipes and dd said they were not close. I loved them, but I don't get the soup at Panera.

Can you share the recipe please?

littlemama - here is the actual recipe.  


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 3/4 inch thickness

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 ranch dressing
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Ranch Spread:
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Parmesan Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/3 shredded parmesan
2 tablespoon melted butter


1 cup of shredded provolone

Marinade chicken: combine all ingredients & pour over chicken.  Marinate 2-3 hours or overnight.  Grill chicken until thoroughly cooked.

Prepare the ranch spread & parm topping.

Bake chicken:  position rack in center of oven, preheat broiler.  Place chicken in casserole dish.  Spread 2 tbs of ranch spread on each breast, then top with probolone and parm topping.  Place under broiler until cheese melts and crumb topping begins to turn light brown.