Our Story

86 Recipes started when Chris and Dan were roommates together at Georgetown. Like most college guys, their kitchen was filled with empty pizza boxes and take out menus. Their knowledge of cooking extended only to items that had “microwavable” written on the package.

During their senior year, at the constant prodding of their respective mothers, they agreed that they would go out to the supermarket, buy a bunch of groceries, and solve the mysteries of cooking. The only problem was that they didn’t know where to go to find great recipes. They found that most cookbooks were expensive and were filled with stuff that the two roommates didn’t even want to cook! Braised tongue anyone?

Fortunately for Chris and Dan, one of their buddies was a line cook at a favorite local restaurant and he showed them how to cook some popular menu items at home. They found it fun to make each recipe their own way and then visit the restaurant and compare their handiwork to the original. Although, they were still learning their way around the kitchen – yes, most potholders are flammable, by the way – in no time, Chris and Dan were making meals that tasted as if they came from a professional chef.

After college, Chris found himself back in his native New York waiting tables and eventually managing a restaurant while taking graduate courses. One day, Chris noticed that the servers jotted down the night’s specials on their dupe pads with the restaurant’s logo on the reverse side. The rectangular shape of the dupe pads reminded him of the old traditional recipe cards, and, thus, the concept for 86 Recipes was born. He called Dan – who was a law student at the time – and presented his new idea for a series of restaurant recipe cards. They became business partners that afternoon.

Today, 86 Recipes is dedicated to bringing the secrets of top restaurants to the home kitchen. Even though you may not be the best chef, 86 Recipes gives you fun, exciting meals that can be prepared by almost anyone. Open up a box and you are instantly transported to the city from which the the recipes have originated. As you enjoy the meal you’ve just prepared with your friends or family, you can almost hear the blare of a New York City taxi horn, the strains of jazz from a café on Bourbon Street, or the cry of the gulls that circle the Golden Gate Bridge. After you’ve made a few dishes, you can even stop by the restaurant from which the recipe originated and see how your skills compare to the real thing!

Bon Appetit!

Chris & Dan