Date night...with your sister!

RRR & I were agonizing over where to eat this weekend and eventually decided to have dinner at Novecento, an Argentine restaurant she read about in Zagat. Since we rarely dine in SoHo it seemed like a good idea to hit a part of town we haven't been to in awhile.

The reservationist said she could accommodate us if we hurried down there - no need to tell us twice! We jumped on the subway and got down there post haste. My first impression of the candlelit restaurant was "this would be a nice date place - unfortunately MY date is my sister" and we settled into a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant. The ambience was very downtown and as the night progressed the volume of the music eminating from the restaurant's sound sytem increased.

Our server was friendly and helped us chose a delicious full-bodied temparillo. We started with a choice of two empanadas, picking the spinach and cheese and the chicken. Unfortunately, the spinach and cheese lacked a bit of flavor and I was unable to identify the coma-inflicting cheese. A more pungent dairy component would have made this empanada above average instead of well, just average. The chicken empanada fared much better - the sofrito sauce was tasty and the empanada pastry flaky and light.

We followed this up our empanadas with the ensalada de rucula: argula salad, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a truffled vinagrette. I usually don't get overly jazzed about salads but the parm made this one really savory and the perfect intermezzo to our main event...

and that would be the entrana con chimichurri: a 14 ounce flank steak with fries and a side of chimichurri sauce. The flank steak was a great cut of meat; crisp on the outside, pink on the inside.

We decided to forgo dessert and find some sweets on our way home... (I'll keep you in suspense for that one!)

All in all a pretty decent meal. Would I say the best ever? No, but a good option in SoHo whether you are on a date and not out to break the bank, out for a couples night or even a relaxed evening with the girls. And hey, when you have the best dining companion a foodie could ask for - your sister - what more can you ask for!