The word Tiramisu is Italian for “Pick Me Up.”  This probably comes from the coffee you’ll find in the recipe.  A nice blend of strong Italian coffee along with a bit of brandy can make for a nice dessert.

I’m not a Tiramisu expert, but I’ve heard many people say that the Olive Garden™ recipe is one of the better ones you’ll find.  I had some Tiramisu at a little Italian bakery in the Little Italy part of San Franscisco.  It was amazing, but i think the atmosphere had a lot to do with it.

When you make this recipe, make sure you add plenty of sugar to keep it from that “cheese taste”.  This is a dessert, not an appetizer, so don’t be afraid to sweeten it up.

One of the restaurant recipes floating around uses sponge cake.  One trip to The Olive Garden and you’ll know it’s made with lady fingers, not sponge cake.  The following is the real deal.
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Olive Garden™ Tiramisu Recipe

This is what started it all for Ralph Rubio in San Diego, CA.  This is also what started my quest for restaurant recipes for me.

When you say the words “fish taco” to anyone who’s never had a real Rubio’s™ Fish Taco, you’ll usually get a grimaced look on their face and a very loud “Ewwwww”.  Honestly this was my first reaction to the thought in the late 80′s when Rubio’s opened in Mission Beach.

For some reason the combination of a warm corn tortilla, a crunchy hot piece of mild fish and the crisp freshness of shredded cabbage is a mouth tantalizing sensation.  Add to this the mild zing of Rubio’s™ white sauce and some smokey flavored hot sauce and you’ll be craving these yourself.

Before you get to the recipe, let me make a couple of notes for you.  The tortilla is critical to the taste.  Most tortillas you buy in a grocery store are thin, dry and tasteless.  If you want the authentic taste of a real tortilla, I HIGHYLY recommend Porkyland brand tortillas. Last I knew, this is the same company Rubio’s™ uses to make their tortillas.  They have a special recipe but, you can still get your hands on these amazing tortillas through MexGrocer.com.
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Rubio’s™ Fish Tacos Recipe

I’m almost embarrassed to call this one of the “top secret” restaurant recipes because it’s SO simple, but it’s such an important part of the Rubio’s™ fish taco experience. When my wife and I tried making fish taco’s without it (didn’t have all the ingredients and we were too lazy to drive to the store), we were amazed at how much the tacos lacked.

Whether you’re making grilled of fried fish tacos, this is an ingredient friends will rave about. It your choice whether you tell them how it’s made or not. Oh and please don’t let anyone convince you there are capers in this sauce… they’re not.

Ok, I warned you, this is VERY simple.
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Rubio’s™ White Sauce

The Outback Steakhouse™ Bloomin Onion is one of the restaurant recipes you’ll save a TON of money making at home.  Don’t be afraid to try this one. These make a great appetizer before any meal or just make one to enjoy all by itself.

Outback Steakhouse™ claims to have invented the Bloomin Onion. Whether they did or not, they definitely made the name a household word.

If you have a bit of trouble cutting the onion exactly right, consider visiting a restaurant supply store for a special “blooming onion” cutter.  They make the job MUCH easier and you’ll end up with a perfectly beautiful onion every time.
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Outback Steakhouse™ Bloomin Onion Recipe

If you’re not careful you could end up eating WAY too many of these bread sticks on your next trip to The Olive Garden™. Famous for their “bottomless basket” of breadsticks, a meal at The Olive Garden™ isn’t complete without a few of these in your belly. This is one of the restaurant recipes your friends will be begging you to forward to them. Best part, it’s extremely easy to make.

There appears to be a bit of a controversy about the inclusion of oregano in the recipe. Many have said true Olive Garden™ bread sticks don’t have any oregano. Keep this in mind when you make these up for your family. Crumble up the oregano very fine and don’t over do it on each stick. If you want to see if you can tell the difference, just skip the oregano on a couple of the bread sticks. After all, it’s your taste buds you’re looking to satisfy.

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Gary’s Revenge SpongeBob Game

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill™ has locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Ralph Rubio started his first restaurant in San Diego. As a surfer he would take frequent trips to Baja California and enjoy fish tacos from the street vendors.

Fish tacos have become the official food of San Diego. Having lived there most of my life, I have periodic cravings for these but they have to be exactly right or it doesn’t satisfy. One of the items I had the most trouble with was Rubio’s™ hot sauce. Finally, I discovered the secret and life is great! I use this sauce on everything now. It’s even great with a bowl of chips.

It was my love of Rubio’s™ that raised my interest in finding restaurant recipes. Make sure you take a look at the recipe for their world famous fish tacos as well.
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Rubio’s™ Hot Sauce Recipe