Reviewed: Novecento

My birthday feels like it was so long ago. Alex and I went out for an adult- and couple-only dinner the day after my birthday. It was so nice having a dinner just the two of us and even nicer not having to share my meal with anyone! We walked around Coral Gables until we found the perfect restaurant and ended up eating at Novecento. I had heard a lot of good things about the restaurant and was excited about giving it a try. The food was beyond delicious and the servings were more than generous. The price on dinner was an the pricier end, but once you consider we had six alcoholic drinks (we really got down!) the price was more than reasonable.

We started our meal with an order of Beef Empanadas. In Alex's words these were "damn good." The meat, which was actual steak chunks and not ground beef, was well seasoned. The filling to shell ratio was perfect for tasting and savoring the tomato-based steak; sometimes you get empanadas that have too much pastry and not enough filling.

Alex ordered the Carnitas de Puerco and was in heaven. The pork was crispy yet tender: crispy and crunchy like a chicharon (fried pork rinds) on the outside and fork-breaking tender on the inside. The pork was served with your basic mashed potatoes, but with the added twist of satueed onions. Again, Alex's words for this dish were "Masitas? More like masotas and you can quote me on that."

I ordered the Entraña con Chimichuri with Arroz Moros as the side. The entraña, or skirt steak, had the most fantastic smokey, grilled taste to it. You could literally eat this steak on its own but what really made the steak spectacular was the chimichuri; such a great blend of herbs, vinegar, and oil. The Arroz Moros was just as good as the kind you'd find in any Cuban kitchen.

For dessert we shared the Panqueque de Dulce de Leche. This is basically a crepe stuffed with dulce de leche and honestly you can't go wrong with a dessert as simple as this. 

 

Novecento is located at 121 Alhambra Plaza, Miami, Florida 33134. I definitely recommend going there. Even if you don't eat, the restaurant has such a great outdoor area that is perfect for enjoying a nice Miami night while drinking a few cocktails.