SANTO DOMINGO: RESTAURANTE DON PEPE
After a long day of running errands with my father in Santo Domingo, we went home for a nap until dinner time. As we were getting ready for the evening Dad mentioned his favorite local restaurant called Don Pepe where he usually enjoys his regular dish, Salpicon de Mariscos with a bottle of wine. Since I don't get to enjoy much time with my dad, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see more of his day-to-day life and world and this included his favorite local spot which was conveniently at walking distance from our home.
Don Pepe, located in the Piantini district of Santo Domingo serves the most authentic Spanish cuisine (not tapas) on the island. The restaurant is very quiet on the outside with large wooden doors leading into a beautifully dimmed salon with gorgeous paintings hanging around the room, some red furniture, and shiny marble floors. At the center of the restaurant is fresh seafood including lobsters, crabs, and octopus, large, aged, Iberico ham hanging right above them, and large aluminum bowls of seafood salad resting on ice.
After we were welcomed, we grabbed the table of our choice as we had arrived slightly earlier than the dinner rush which starts around 9 pm and most of the restaurant tables were available. The staff, from the hostess at the door, to our server, the busboys, the owner (who was having dinner a few tables down from us), and even the sommelier were all men. As a woman, I love to see it haha.
Before I harp on the service and how slow and inattentive it was, I do want to say that in the Dominican Republic, water for the table is only served when requested, same as in Europe. Menus are ALSO not given to the diners unless asked for. This cultural difference had me anxious and irritated from restaurant to restaurant because those are two almost automatic actions taken at any and most if not all New York City restaurants as soon as one sits down. Alas.
After asking for water and menus (cringe), Dad and I ordered everything to share. First, we decided to get his regular dish, Salpicón de Mariscos which is a bowl filled with chilled fresh seafood including shrimp, squid, calamari, and octopus marinated in salt, pepper, lime, vinegar, freshly chopped onions, and cilantro. If we could rename the dish, we would rename it A BOWL OF FRESH SEAFOOD FOR YOU because it was that simple, clean, and fresh.
Before putting in our order for the Salpicón, we ordered a bottle of 2016 Simi Valley wine which we drank like water.
Following the Salpicón, we had Las Muelas de Centollo which is crab cheek in garlic, oil, and butter on a bed of boiled and sliced soft golden potatoes. This was my favorite dish!
We were extremely hungry so we also went ahead and ordered the Paella Marinera which is Spain's traditional saffron-flavored rice dish which can be served with meat, seafood, or vegetables. We got ours with mixed seafood for two and it was spectacular especially paired with the 2013 Simi Valley wine. We even took some to go from the watchmen at our apartment complex.
To wine down, we ordered the flan and paired it with an Argentinian dessert wine. Because of the food and the atmosphere I know we will be coming back time and again. Don Pepe is somehow the perfect place to meet for a business meeting or a gastro-romantic date.