Jamis Nova (2007) owner here, and I love it. I don't think the steel is going to hold you back... Also, if you miss your cross levers, you can add those later. I rode a Jake the Snake when I was trying out a bunch of different bikes. To me, the Jamis was just a lot more fun to ride, but YMMV.

As has been pointed out, the Aurora Elite and the old Nova are the same bike with a few different component choices. The Aurora Elite is sold as a touring bike (triple, rack mounts on front fork), whereas the Nova was marketed more as a cross bike.

Edit: Here are a couple of other bikes I tried out, in case you're looking to compare:
- Steelwool Truffle Pig
- Bianchi Volpe
- Urbanite Touring