Scottsdale Restaurant Guide

Enjoy Festive Fun At Pepin

If you're looking for a colorful alternative to the usual holiday fare and want to treat visiting friends and family to a truly delicious and entertaining evening, consider a visit to Spain that doesn't even require a passport! Overlooking the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, Pepin Restaurante Espanol was opened by chef Rafael Souto in 1992 and is now in its 16th year of serving up classical Spanish cuisine with tapas and specialties like paella (five different types), as well as sizzling flamenco and Latin dance shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Having moved to American in 1975 from coastal Spain ("Where you get the best food in the world," he says), Chef Rafael has spent more than 30 years in the restaurant industry; before opening Pepin, he was with the Marquesa at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess where he was instrumental in earning the restaurant their AAA Five-Diamond Award. Coming from what he calls a "family of cooks," Souto has taken traditional Spanish favorites and added his own little touches here and there to make even the most jaded diner sit up and take notice. "You should enjoy your time cooking," he says. "Take your time preparing your dishes!" Chef Rafael's personal favorite menu items would be the Ternera Casera, braised veal shank simmered with tomato, red wine, mushrooms, onion and garlic, and the Conejo Cazadora, braised rabbit simmered in a wild herb sauce with potato wedges and carrots. He has provided frontdoors with the recipe for a true Spanish classic: Paella Valenciana.