Don Pepe

Don Pepe has been a restaurant that has been mentioned so many times and I've always wanted to go but knew that it took some planning because it was pretty far (near the airport). People have always talked about how delicious and hearty Don Pepe was and I finally got to try it last week! The decor is nothing fancy and it was a very home style italian atmosphere. The food was absolutely excellent and I would love to return again. Service was also friendly and efficient. Come with a big group of friends and order a ton of their house wine which is actually quite decent. You will leave extremely satisfied and I am already planning for my next visit!

Fresh Mozzarella with Tomatoes and Peppers 
All the ingredients were fresh and I liked the addition of the sweet peppers which was a nice touch from the traditional caprese. This dish was good, but not something I would order specifically as it was not extremely special (save tummy for clams hehe)

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Presentation aside, these mushrooms were absolutely delicious. The grilling of them resulted in a glorious charred smoky flavor and the portobello was seasoned perfectly and the texture was also so satisfying and had a great bite to it. 

Don Pepe's Famous Baked Clams 
*holy music plays*... these clams are DIVINEEEE. These are one of the most famous dishes at Don Pepe and I can absolutely see why. The juicy meaty clams are smothered in a strong garlic mixture/sauce and then covered with crunchy delicious breadcrumbs. We could not stop eating these. The flavors are just ridiculous and the textural contrast of the clams and the breadcrumbs was unreal. MUST ORDER. 

We ordered two more orders later 

Linguine with Clams 
I wonder how many garlic gloves they use per day.... not complaining though because I love all this stinky stuff like garlic, scallion, onions, shallots.... my boyfriend is a lucky man. The pasta was perfectly al dente and the clams and garlic sauce was perfect. The dish was simple and the flavors worked together perfectly. The dish concentrated on the perfect extraction of the flavors of the ingredients and I completely gobbled this up. The only thing about this dish is that it is quite oily. There also seems to be some parsley in there (blech) but I could not even taste it (hooray!). 

Linguine with Marinara Sauce
Once again perfect al dente pasta, I am usually a white sauce type of girl but this meat sauce was also bursting with flavor and highlighted the sweetness of the tomatoes. 

Veal Don Pepe
YOU MUST ALSO ORDER THIS. This was another favorite from the night and I wish I was not so full to the brink of explosion or else I would have eaten it all. I had a couple bites of this and it was just heavenly. The veal was so tender and the breading was perfectly crispy and just the right thinness. It was fried to the ideal golden brown and the bruschetta mixture on the top was a burst of freshness that complemented the veal so well. 

Don Pepe is sort of a trek but it is definitely worth it. Definitely adding this to my list of restaurants that I want to bring my boyfriend to when he visits in February! 

Don Pepe 

13558 Lefferts Blvd

Ozon Park

NY 11420

USA