When it comes to Brazilian food in Los Angeles there is only one place that I love to go, Bosso Nova. There's a couple of different Bosso Novas around Los Angeles, the one that I prefer is the one located in West Hollywood on Robertson, located in where is often called "gay-town" (you can probably figure out why) the restaurant is located in a lively area full of bars and restaurants, the food is great there.
However, there is another Bosso Nova located on Sunset Blvd, closer to my home. And so on this night Mr. Borscht and I craving a yummy brazilian meal and too starved to make it all the way to the west side decide to try Bosso Nova on Sunset Blvd.
The atmosphere is most different here on Sunset's Bosso Nova, the din of the restaurant is quieter, the restaurant itself is more sophisticated and fine-dining like opposed to Robertson's fun and loud atmosphere. There are couples on dates, there are co-workers still in their work attire getting dinner, a group of girls are having a girls' night out- it is this kind of dining place I realize, and I am much too much casually dressed I feel in my black skinny jeans, rock t-shirt and converse.
They even serve complimentary bread here, but it is slightly tough and not warm, and this tummy loves warm, soft bread. Even at the brink of starvation the complimentary bread is not delicious.
We order the Brazilian version of Sangria, Ponche, it is absolutely delicious, slightly sweet and very much like Sangria, the Ponche goes down easy, I think I may even prefer this Ponche to Sangria. This is the first winning point for Sunset Bosso Nova! Though I'm sure they serve Ponche at Robertson as well.
I order what I usually order at Robertson for the sake of comparison, the Picanha steak. The meat is different here. So different in fact that I thought I received the wrong dish, I even asked the waiter if this was the Picanha steak I had ordered, he of course said "yes". The meat at Robertson's is bigger and thinner with much more flavor, as I eat my steak I begin to doubt whether I merely ordered the wrong dish, 'perhaps I don't usually order the Picanha'. The steak at Robertson is soft, the steak at Sunset is hard to cut through and a bit too chewy for my liking. The steak comes with plantains, rice and beans. The plantains are not as sticky and sweet as Robertson's, the rice and beans however taste the same. But I do especially love the sticky, sweet plantains and so I am bit disappointed tonight.
Mr. Borscht orders the chicken Stroganoff, the dish usually comes with a side of rice but Mr. Borscht has opted for mashed potatoes instead. The chicken swimming in its sauce was flavorful with a peppery and paprika smoky taste, the mashed potatoes were also absolutely wonderfully soft and creamy, not at all dry. It seems this evening Mr. Borscht has got me beat with his choice of plate.
What can I say? Robertson Bosso Nova is still my first choice. The ambiance, the liveliness, the flavor-rich food (which is a bit lacking at Sunset Bosso Nova), in my opinion all of these qualities are needed to enjoy Brazilian food and while the food at Sunset Bosso Nova wasn't terrible, it lacked the Brazilian quality, the richness in the food was lacking, the dishes were all too... nice and prim- not very Brazilian in my opinion, and the ambience and interior of the restaurant followed suit, another fault. But perhaps I went in expecting to find Robertson Bosso Nova? Perhaps it is in our advantage to have two different styles of Bosso Nova, one for a delicious late night dinner after a night out in town and one for... everything else.
Well, let me step back and compare apples to apples. The food, Robertson Bosso Nova is the winner. Need I say more?
The Damage: $56.83
2 Ponche
1 Coulotte Steak Picanha
1 Chicken Stroganoff
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