Located on Pico Boulevard, a couple of blocks west of the Westside Pavillion, Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine offers a vast selection of traditional Brazilian dishes as well as some California cuisine. You’ll find plenty of tasty appetizers, salads, sandwiches, grilled meats, seafood, vegetables, pastas and pizza here.
The prices are reasonable and even more so during the weekday happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., when several appetizers are half price and beer and wine are less than $3 and $4.
My favorite appetizer is the Pao de Queijo (cheese bread balls), hot and fresh from the oven. The dough is light and puffy with a chewy, cheesy center. You can get a dozen of these for only $3 during happy hour; normally they're $6.
I also like the mushroom appetizer, which consists of small button mushrooms sautéed in olive oil, garlic, sherry and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Sliced, toasted baguettes are served alongside.
As an alternative to French fries, try the fried yucca, which is crispy and topped with Parmesan.
When you order the Espetinho Misto, you get a choice of two charbroiled skewers (chicken, lamb or vegetable) served on a bed of white rice and topped with salsa.
The wood-oven baked pizza is thin and topped with lots of great flavor. I love the grilled mushroom pizza with homemade tomato sauce, leeks, mozzarella and mascarpone cheese. It's savory, crispy and creamy with a touch of sweetness from the mascarpone. I think this is my new favorite pizza.
On a previous visit, I ordered the Bossa salad with romaine, tomatoes, almonds, gorgonzola, onions and croutons, tossed in a balsamic dressing. This would have been the perfect complement to the pizza. Salads are aplenty here, with 15 of them to choose from.
With so many items to try at Bossa Nova, I know I’ll be back soon.
Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine, 10982 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064, 310-441-0404.
Hours: Mon.-Wed., Sun. 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Thu.-Sat. 11 a.m.-4 a.m.
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