We found Novecento by accident after a very difficult travel day. Greta, a charming, energetic young redhead greeted us and literally created a table for us.
She brought us a the house wine, a fruity garnet-colored carafe. The wine was gentle, light bodied and very drinkable for two travelers who had much earlier hit their limits. Perfect, too, for a warm night in Sicily.
We ordered only a fish antipasti and a pasta dish that we split. Not much it would seem for an Italian dinner. The waiter came and set down two fish dishes. Then two more. Than, remarkably two more. This was just the antipasti - the appetizer!
The food, while it was all traditional, was prepared in a modern style. There were two crudos, raw fish dishes dressed lightly in olive oil, lemon juice and pepper. One was a thinly sliced octopus on a bed of arugula. The other was a light white fish topped with pomegranate seeds. There was a shrimp ceviche mixed with avocado and melon. And fried fish and anchovies and another fish salad.
We also shared a pasta, elegant in its simplicity: rigatoni with olive oil, anchovies (they literally melt into the olive oil), garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs.
Thank you Greta. Thank you Novecentro Art and Food. You reminded us of the magic of food and good company and with the best wine, the best bread, the best food we have had so far in Italy, made our very bad day all better. read more
