There are restaurants that turn each dish into a spectacle and others that prefer that all the prominence falls on the food. In this second category is Pepito Ternera, an Aragonese gastrotavern located in front of the Parque Grande that is committed to traditional cuisine, a quality product and recognizable flavors.
Behind the project is Francisco Bernabé, owner, cook and waiter of the restaurant, a true «three in one» who has been defending a way of understanding gastronomy in which the product occupies the center of the table for years. «We don’t want any prominence, the protagonist is the product and the customer,» he explains in an interview with ARAGÓN DIGITAL.
The story of Pepito Ternera began about 12 or 13 years ago in a small premises on Mariano Supervía Street. The project was born with a much smaller proposal and linked to the concept that gives the establishment its name: the traditional beef pepito. «Looking for a bit of that veal pepito roll, we set up a small and very modest business,» Bernabé recalls.
Over time, that small establishment grew and so did the proposal. The current premises, on the same street, have allowed the recipe book to be expanded and a more complete cuisine to be developed, while keeping intact the philosophy with which the project began.
A KITCHEN WITHOUT ARTIFICE
For Bernabé, recovering traditional cuisine means returning to those dishes capable of awakening memories. Spoon dishes have an important weight in his proposal, along with recipes inspired by family cooking. «If you have been lucky enough to have people in your family who have cooked, such as grandmothers, aunts and all that first-line cast, that is what we capture a little in our recipe book,» he explains.
Meat also occupies a prominent place. The chef himself acknowledges that his commitment to this product was born, in part, as a way of looking for a different path from that of his childhood, marked by a family tradition linked to fish. Now, different cuts are grilled and arrive at the table with simple accompaniments.
One of the dishes he recommends the most is picaña, a piece that, although it may seem simple, requires technique both in cutting and in its preparation. «A good salt, a good pepper and a little oil. It doesn’t need anything else,» he sums up.
THE PRODUCT, ABOVE THE SPECTACLE
Pepito Ternera also seeks to work with local products whenever possible, although without renouncing ingredients from other areas when he considers that they offer a special quality. Tomatoes, oil, bread and garden products have their space in a kitchen that looks especially towards the gastronomy of the Ribera del Ebro.
This defence of the product also marks the way of understanding the restaurant industry and its philosophy moves away from dishes loaded with striking elements: «It doesn’t need to have two kilos of cheddar sauce on top, or to put two flares on it to go out into the dining room on fire».
The objective, in short, is for the customer to remember the taste and not the show. «We don’t want any prominence, the product and the customer have the leading role,» he says.
SCHEDULE AND LOCATION
Pepito Ternera is located at 58 Mariano Supervía Street, in Zaragoza, and also has a terrace with views of the Parque Grande.
The restaurant is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00; and Friday and Saturday from 13.00 to 17.00 and from 20.00 to 23.00. It is closed on Tuesdays.
For Francisco Bernabé, cooking is also still a form of learning. He trained working in different restaurants and continues to visit establishments and exchange knowledge with other professionals.
A philosophy that Pepito Ternera brings to the table in Zaragoza: to recover the traditional flavours, take care of the product and show that, sometimes, to enjoy a good dish you don’t need anything else.
