Have you ever asked for a recipe while eating at a restaurant?

no

It was the last day that the place was going to be open.

They closed for good that night after 50+ years in business.

Soi what did they tell you?

Or did your wife talk you out of asking?

We agreed that she made the same dish pretty close to how they make it and she said she had some ideas on how to replicate the recipe.

So, I didn't ask for it.

Murphy's in Hammond was the restaurant.

I kinda asked for a dip recipe at an Italian restaurant once. My wife and I were there during off hours and had already had a rapport going with our waitress. When she asked how everything was, I raved about the dip and kinda jokingly said she should get me the recipe.

She pointed at a magazine article hanging on the wall by our table and said, "read it for yourself".

We have, on a very rare occasion, asked for a recipe at a restaurant where we were regulars and "knew" our server pretty well.

On one occasion, it was simply a guajillo salsa served on some street tacos that we really liked, and our "regular" server was willing to get the recipe for us...which was really a list of ingredients rather than a specific recipe.

On another occasion, it was a recipe for a cabbage soup that was outstanding - and the waiter went back and asked the chef, who wrote it down.

I would really only do it for rare occasions and at a place where we are familiar with the staff.

Once at a restaurant in DC because we didn't know when we would be back.

The waitress gave us the ingredients and the process, but I could not come close to replicating.

It was the scallop gnocchi at Lardente and it was fabulous.

Absolutely. SeaBear in Athens has a delicious Jalapeño Mignonette. The sous chef told me how they make it & I've duplicated it.

Yes, once. There is a place in L.A. called the Greyhound that makes the best wings I have ever tasted. I spent years trying to get mine to a similar quality and failed.
Late one night me and a buddy were at the bar and the chef came out for a drink. So I asked him and he told me.
Basically, a two cook process. First confit at low temperature and then fry at high temperature.