Pepenero tells the story of the two places chef Giorgio Lo Greco considers home: Palermo, Sicily and Traverse City, Michigan. It starts with the memory of the family, the deliciousness prepared by mother, grandmother, aunts and uncle; past experiences. ‘ It comes from my youth memories in Bagheria, home of so many rural culinary traditions where seafood is at its best, the experience and memories gained while working in my uncle’s trattoria ‘Trattoria Don Ciccio”, and in Palermo, city of such a popular gastronomic culture. Everything, then, has been filtered by travel memories bringing new knowledge and techniques, local ingredients and my personal touch and creativity.‘
While keeping the original state of all found pieces of history of the Kirkbride hall building , we have transformed the first floor of the original chapel of the old state hospital into a place with a warm, elegant and relaxing atmosphere. Visiting Pepenero is one of the most direct ways to soak in the atmosphere of today’s Italy. for those who choose to dine with us, Pepenero gives you not only an atmosphere of modern elegance, but also a journey into the most genuine and authentic flavors of italy with an emphasize on Sicily.
Giorgio Lo Greco - Chef Owner - PepeNero
Your Chef
"I promise to serve good, simple and thought out dishes. Freshness and quality of ingredients speak for themselves, the only thing I add is memory and my passion for food. I try to include memories from home in Bagheria Sicily, in every single dish. Each one, in its simplicity tells my story - childhood memories, my world travel experiences and daily life in Michigan Goal is: even though you’re not in Italy (and probably not even Italian) myself and the PepeNero team work tirelessly to make you feel that way. It is with this simple thought in mind that we invite you to join us to celebrate and be a part of our family!"
Giorgio Lo Greco - Chef Owner - PepeNero
Even though we're quite far from Italy, a place where we used to call home for quite a long time, memories are with us, transforming them into perfect dishes to celebrate seasons and symbols of the gastronomic history of Sicily.
in our kitchen we use the best of what Michigan and Italy has to offer and leave the freshness and quality of ingredients speak for themselves in our dishes.
From fresh pasta, sauces, ragu - everything is made in house! Flour is power @Pepenero!.
Restaurant is open for dine in service: Tuesday - Thu 4.30pm - 9pm; Fri-Sat: 4.30-10pm; For take-out or curbside delivery orders can be placed-depending on availability - Tuesday - Saturday 5pm - 8pm;We look forward to feeding you soon.
'Each dish, in its simplicity tells my story - growing up memories in Bagheria - Sicily, my world travel experiences, and daily life in Traverse City'
Giorgio Lo Greco, Chef
OPENING HOURS (dinning room & take out orders)
Tuesday - Thursday: 4.30pm - 9pm;
Friday - Saturday: 4.30pm -10pm;
Sunday, Monday: closed
Reservations strongly encouraged