Few things are as typically Argentine as a robust glass of wine and a seductress of a dance — which is precisely why Tango & Malbec, the new Argentinean restaurant on Sage at Alabama, is so aptly named.

The restaurant is the brainchild of executive chef Mariela Hecker and husband/wife team Gianfranco and Gina Percovich. The three hail from the beautiful Buenos Aires and Patagonia regions, and Gianfranco Percovich (who is also the general manager and sommelier) says the group wanted to combine the “passion and the energy of tango together with the pleasures of life in a way we could share.”

Indeed the atmosphere echoes the spirit of the tango with its dark woods, dim lighting and red and black accents. There’s a roomy bar area, plus a private wine room with seating for six. The main dining room features a dance floor for occasional tango shows surrounded by well-spaced tables.

The restaurant’s menu concentrates on a spectrum of specialties from South America. While the heavy focus is Argentine, chef Heckler relies on influences from the entire Rio de la Plata region — so in addition to the Argentine steaks and morcillas, you’ll also find Venezuelan ceviches, Chilean carpaccios and Uruguayan seafood salads.

The opening night party quickly filled with a heavily accented crowd that graciously sipped Malbec wines and tasted the regional specialties. While the garlicky steaks garnished the most praise, the Punta del Este salad — a tango compilation of shrimp and calamari served cold — easily stole my heart. The thin-sliced beef topped with a mayonnaise sauce and capers added a nice flavor, but paled in comparison to the kickin’ carpaccios.

Tango & Malbec channels a fiery South American energy in both food and front. You won’t find photos of the iconic Eva Peron, but you will find a lovely evening out in a place that treats its customers like family. What a prize for Houston.