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Restaurant cookbooks provide an intimate glimpse into a professional chef's inspiration and process, as well as the opportunity to "visit" a dining establishment regardless of physical distance.
If you're missing your favorite restaurant right now or want to discover a new one from the comfort of your kitchen, you'll find it in these 50 diverse cookbook options.
Having lived in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and now New York City, I've always been surrounded by amazing food options. And I've found that restaurant cookbooks are a great way to remember — and recreate — particularly excellent dining experiences. Since it's rare to be able to meet the chefs behind your favorite meals, much less ask them about their recipe-developing processes, their cookbooks give you an opportunity to peek into their brains.
Restaurant cookbooks are also a great way to try dishes you've only pined after online, whether the spot you've been dying to visit is a beloved neighborhood eatery, a famous dessert shop, or a Michelin-starred establishment. While some of these books contain recipes that are quite involved for the regular home cook, at the very least they provide lots of culinary inspiration. And right now, with restaurants closed or limited to takeout and delivery due to the coronavirus, they'll help you feel closer to a city's dining scene.
The 50 cookbooks below come from some of America's best and most beloved restaurants and bakeries, and truly represent the country's diverse tastes.
Lines go out the door no matter what time of the day or week you visit this San Francisco bakery. Just like you can't decide on any one pastry to buy, you won't be able to choose which recipe to make first: Will it be the Brioche Bread Pudding, Lemon Cream Tart, or Chocolate Chiffon Cake?
Before you get too excited, no, this book does not contain the actual recipes for the burger or the famous sauce, but it will get you pretty close to the real deal. You can make delicious burgers, fries, and shakes at home, then conduct the classic Shake Shack vs. In-n-Out comparison.
With its colorful, fresh, and health-conscious dishes, Sqirl captures every stereotype you've heard about Los Angeles and its obsession with clean eating. You'll see kale, avocado, and grain bowls alongside unique jams, sophisticated cookies, and elevated beverages.
This distinctive three Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant helped put molecular gastronomy on the map — meaning, recipes can skew a bit complicated. That being said, the book also comes with access to a website featuring video demonstrations, interviews, and an online forum that allows readers to interact with co-owner Grant Achatz and his team.
Christina Tosi's creative desserts play on your childhood favorites, from the Compost Cookie and Crack Pie to the famous Cereal Milk Ice Cream and "unfinished" layer cakes. If you're looking for fun indulgence, this cookbook is it.
You know him for the Cronut that took New York and the rest of the world by storm, but Ansel also makes plenty of other delicious pastries. The book is split into three sections by experience level, so you can move through madeleines, macarons, and Kouign-Amanns as you see fit.
It's impossible to talk about California cuisine without mentioning Alice Waters. Fresh, seasonal vegetables are the name of the game and are essential to the menu at her Berkeley restaurant. These recipes will quickly turn you into a farmer's market regular.
This three Michelin-starred Napa Valley restaurant has been dazzling visitors with its two nine-course tasting menus for more than two decades. Learn from chef and proprietor Thomas Keller how to make the refined and focused dishes that made The French Laundry so famous.
Pair one of these salads, sandwiches, or stews with a tart, fruity lemonade, and you have a lunch that will make all your coworkers jealous. Fans of this Los Angeles staple will have fun recreating their favorite dishes.
The dishes are brought to you dim sum service-style at this trendy San Francisco restaurant, so you'll fill up your table with a variety of delicious flavors and textures before you know it. Try your hand at Fried Pork Belly, Spicy Yuba Noodles, Sweet Corn Tres Leches Cake, and more in your own home kitchen.
125 sophisticated recipes fill this book from the iconic New York restaurant. Woven throughout the recipes is the story of how the successful establishment came to be.
Chinese-American food is a distinct category in itself, no better captured than by Danny Bowien's fusion dishes like Kung Pao Pastrami and Thrice-Cooked Bacon.
This legendary food hall features a melting pot of vendors — whatever you're craving, Grand Central Market has it. Make some carnitas tacos, curry udon, and pressed juice, then settle in to learn about the market's rich history.
In 2016, the highest-rated pizza place in America according to Yelp was Cheese Board, which produces only one type of vegetarian pizza a day and also makes fresh bread and cheese right next door. This book of over 100 recipes is the ultimate carb party.
Some of the best Spanish food in the country can be found in Asheville, North Carolina at tapas bar Cúrate. Chef Katie Button dropped out of a PhD program to pursue her passion for cooking, and thousands of satisfied diners have thanked her since.
Accessible ingredients make up the rustic dishes of this Californian-Mediterranean restaurant. You'll find a lot of roasted and grilled vegetables, interesting salads, and slow-cooked meats.
David Chang serves up modern Asian cuisine in his collection of award-winning restaurants. If you like noodles and pork, you'll love his tribute to the comforting ingredients.
If you can't snag a reservation at this New York institution, the cookbook brings you right into its dining room and kitchen. Feast on Fresh Spinach Fettuccine, Duck Confit, and Roasted Almond Panna Cotta.
The marriage of chef Joanne Chang and restaurateur Christopher Myers resulted in a child called Myers+Chang, an Asian fusion restaurant in Boston that brings the best of both their worlds together. Think Grilled Corn with Spicy Sriracha Butter, Braised Bulgogi BBQ Sloppy Joes, and other cool combinations.
The camera definitely comes first at this restaurant made for Instagrammable moments. The hearty burgers and stacked milkshakes are the epitome of outrageous indulgence.
Who doesn't love a good slice of pizza? You'd never guess that this thriving pizzeria in Phoenix, Arizona started inside the back corner of a grocery store.
Classic Vietnamese dishes take on an American twist at The Slanted Door, which remains on many San Francisco visitors' lists for its tasty home-inspired food and beautiful location on the waterfront.
The recipes in this Italian cookbook are accompanied by photography inspired by 16th century still life paintings, confirming that food is indeed a form of art.
Chef Josef Centeno shares recipes from all five of his Historic Core restaurants: Bäco Mercat, Bar Amá, Orsa & Winston, Ledlow, and P.Y.T. Multicultural flavors shine in this visually captivating book.
The Tea Leaf Salad is a must-try at this Burmese restaurant. Burmese food draws influences from India, China, Thailand, and Laos, so expect lots of savory spice.
Put your ice cream machine to work with this fun book full of recipes for everyone's favorite frozen treat. We always have room for dessert if it means eating Ample Hills Creamery's Salted Crack Caramel ice cream.
This cookbook is great for home cooks who want to feel like they're working in a professional kitchen. The inside is designed like the actual kitchen binders used in Prune, and written in a voice intended for line cooks. Along with other famous recipes from the NYC Lower East Side establishment, there's an entire chapter on how to make "garbage" and kitchen sink bits delicious.
For a taste of Paris, New Yorkers can simply go to this French brasserie to enjoy classic French dishes like Bouillabaisse and Macaroni Gratin. Even if you can't dine al fresco in Soho, you can enjoy the same food in your own dining room.
Get ready to create full nine-course tasting menus with this cookbook, written by chef-owner and "Top Chef" winner Nicholas Elmi. The South Philly restaurant is known for its creative flavors, plating, and intimate dining space.
At Homeroom in Oakland, California, kids and adults alike pack tables to enjoy a menu of all different types of mac and cheese, from Truffle Mac to Jalapeño Popper Mac. If you're a fan of comfort food, you'll love these cheesy, decadent recipes.
It's notoriously difficult to snag a seat at Rao's, but this cookbook is a great alternative. There are more than 140 recipes for Italian classics like eggplant parm and margherita pizza.
Bakers have plenty of opportunities to flex their pastry skills with recipes like Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Tartlets and Brown Butter Shortbread. The book is also just beautiful to flip through, featuring vivid, full-sized photos that capture the desserts in all their glory.
"Tujague's Cookbook" masterfully weaves history through its recipes, providing rich insight into the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans. You'll feel satiated by the memorabilia from the restaurant's archives, ghost stories, and well-researched tidbits.
Chef-owner Judy Rodgers got her start as a lunch chef at Chez Panisse before opening her very popular restaurant Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, where fresh, seasonal ingredients and simple recipes reign supreme. The juicy, crispy Roast Chicken, made using only small and organic chickens, is a favorite.
Columbia Restaurant holds the distinction of being both the oldest restaurant in Florida and the biggest Spanish restaurant in the US. It doesn't merely ride the coattails of its historical significance and remains relevant by offering delicious, authentic dishes (e.g. Spanish bean soup, arroz con pollo) that reviewers and diners fall in love with instantly.
With summer around the corner, you'll feel inspired to up your outdoor grilling game with the help of Ox chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton. Don't be afraid to crank up the fire for dishes like Grilled Wild Halibut on the Bone with Toasted Garlic-Lemon Oil.
Moosewood is proof is that there are many ways to have fun with vegetables and other healthy ingredients — Butternut Latkes, Cashew-Crusted Chickpea Burgers, and Orange Pistachio Cornmeal Cake are on the menu, along with recipes to please vegans and gluten-free cooks.
Local ingredients and fresh seafood feature prominently at Market Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar, California. In the book, Carl Schroeder splits recipes up by season, so you're always making the best of your grocery haul.
Garlic lovers won't be able to resist the tantalizing recipes from Stinking Rose, which serves more than 3,000 pounds of garlic each month. Make sure both your garlic and breath mint supply are fully stocked in preparation to cook these dishes.
Clinton St. Baking Company has mastered the art of brunch. You can trust its guidance for sweet and savory Sunday morning favorites from pancakes to crab cakes.
You can't help but fall in love under the romantic lights at Foreign Cinema, which shows a film every night in the airy atrium to accompany its simple and beautiful food. The menu is part North African, part California-Mediterranean, telling stories just like the films on screen.
Rather than focus on one specific restaurant, "Portland Cooks" shows you 80 recipes from 40 of Stumptown's diverse culinary scene. It's like a sampler cookbook of sorts, representing Japanese, Spanish, Greek, Moroccan, classic American, and even more types of cuisines.
Phoenicia Diner is nestled in the Catskills and offers classic diner food with a modern twist like Cider-Braised Duck and Grits or Twice-Baked Potato Skillets. It brings all the comforts of a beloved local diner to your own kitchen.
Those who live around Bushwick have fond memories of Roberta's, a pizza joint that stands out among the sea of pizza options in New York City. Beyond pizza, there are recipes for meat, vegetables, and pasta, so there's something for everyone.
The burger that has topped many "best of" lists comes from a surprising source: a pizza restaurant. After you've filled yourself with the famous pretzel bun-topped burger and thick Detroit-style pizza, move on to the strong cocktails and rich desserts.
There are too many memorable dishes to count from Jack's Wife Freda, which features Jewish home cooking with South African and Israeli flavors. You can never go wrong with a comforting Matzoh Ball Soup, nor the Green Shakshuka and Rosewater Waffles with Honey Syrup.
To understand why Ivan Ramen's bowl of noodles is so good, you first need to get inside the head and story of chef Ivan Orkin. He's not shy about sharing his complete recipe for the famous Shio Ramen, in addition to important add-ons like Chashu Pork and Half-Cooked Eggs.
Following chef James Syhabout's fine dining experiment Commis, Hawker Fare takes a different direction, inspired by the colorful, flavorful foods served at open-air markets in Thailand and Laos. After learning the basics of pantry staples, you can move on to dishes like Lao Pho and Minced Pork Salad.
Bakers have plenty of opportunities to flex their pastry skills with recipes like Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Tartlets and Brown Butter Shortbread. The book is also just beautiful to flip through, featuring vivid, full-sized photos that capture the desserts in all their glory.
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