Stephan and I finally got to sample our first Miami Spice menu of the season.  We chose Novecento in Coral Gables primarily because we would be on Miracle Mile and it was in the vicinity.  When I was looking for restaurants that were offering Miami Spice lunch, I noticed several offered only sandwiches, salads or wraps for the special menu.  This is clearly not true when speaking of Novecento.  Their menu was surprisingly varied and had a nice selection of courses.

As per the usual, we ordered different things, so we could try more stuff. First course: Stephan chose the empanadas (one beef and one chicken) and I had the blue cheese, arugula and roasted beet salad.  Although I’m not a big fan of beets, this was a wonderful salad.  Perhaps I should give beets another chance? Yes I should.





For the main course, Stephan had the Grilled Flap Steak with Chimichurri and mashed potatoes.  The steak was grilled perfectly and the chimichurri was very fresh tasting.  I had the Mahi Mahi with kalamata tapanade and warm arugula, tomato and feta salad.  Both very good.  The tapanade was a bit on the salty side, but still quite tasty with the mild tasting grilled Mahi Mahi.

We were completely stuffed and could not finish our main courses.  However, we rested a little and made room for dessert.  The dessert was my favorite part of the entire meal.  Stephan had the Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake with Chocolate Ice Cream.  Utterly decadent and delicious.  I ordered the Dulce de Leche filled Crepe.  Wow… what a simple thing that is simply outstanding. It tasted like they bruleed (burned) a little sugar on the top of the crepe, which resulted in a crackly sugar crust.  Holy schnikes.  Good friggin stuff.  I can tell you by the time we left, we were both in pain from overeating.

Novecento is a definite must try for anyone looking for a Miami Spice Lunch.  We had a top notch three course meal for a mere $23 each.  You just can’t beat that.  Good times!