Don Pepe (Jose Fernandez) was the former chef of Aristotle Onassis and became one of Kansas City’s most colorful and well-known chefs. He is now (to the best of my knowledge) the Executive Chef at Johnny Cascones in Overland Park. Among his most illustrious KC restaurants was Don Pepe, at 910 W. 48th Street (This space later became J.J.’s, before the fire and explosion that destroyed it.) The Clarendon Guide to Kansas City Restaurants (1982) had this to say about Don Pepe: “Nestled on the western fringe of the plaza lies a simply marvelous restaurant. No visit to Kansas City is complete without sampling the classical Spanish or French cuisine of Don Pepe.” Don Pepe was known for Spanish Paella, duck with orange sauce, beef dishes enhanced with Pepe’s masterful French and Spanish sauces, roasted leg of lamb, and Spanish flan. At a time when KC was only just becoming interested in wine, Pepe’s offered guests a homemade wine book with illustrations and descriptions to help them make the best selections to accompany their meal. Clarendon Guide concluded its entry by repeating: “Don Pepe heads our list of places not to miss.”
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:41:48 +0000
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