It’s been a long night of club- hopping. The bartender has announced last call. You finish your drink and hop in a cab, wondering what is still open this late at night.
The traditional after-club fare are losing their je ne sais quoi. I mean, you can have Moons Over My Hammy only so many times. That is where Bossa Nova comes in.
Bossa Nova is a Brazilian restaurant that offers a novel of a menu with a variety of food selections ranging from pizzas and pasta to sandwiches and grilled entrees. Even better, they’re open until 4 a.m. every day.
The servers were surprisingly friendly in the wee hours of the morning. I went around midnight looking for a late-night snack and ended up ordering a three-course meal.
Browsing through the menu is enough to keep you in the restaurant until 4 a.m. The menu does truly reflect Brazil’s diverse population.
I was expecting more traditional Brazilian dishes, and instead I found dishes named after Brazilian supermodels—such as Adriana’s Favorite Breaded Chicken Breast, or Gisele’s Favorite – Chicken Madeira.
For starters, I ordered the Croquete de Camarão. Priced at $3.99, I thought I was getting a deal. Instead, what I got was one large jalapeno popper-type appetizer filled with cheese and a few shrimp sans the jalapeno.
These appetizers are priced per piece, encouraging guests to build their own appetizer plate. The appetizer was a step above a Friday’s jalapeno popper, but still nothing too exciting.
My friend ordered a Lombinho com Abacaxi sandwich, which has pulled pork, pineapple and Monterey Jack cheese. The sandwiches come with the side options of fries, rice and a salad. However, you can also request plantains.
The sandwich was fairly bland, despite its exotic name. The plantains made the sandwich worth ordering.
These caramelized fried bananas are worth waking up in the middle of the night and driving to Bossa Nova. If you didn’t want to leave the comfort of your home, Bossa Nova also delivers.
I chose Manuella’s favorite – pasta with chicken, shrimp, onions and prosciutto, served with a Cajun cream sauce.
The pasta took me two days to eat. This dish alone could have easily fed three people.
The pasta was good overall. It could have used a little more flavor, and when a menu says Cajun, I expect at least a little cayenne pepper or something. This dish had none.
It was nearing 1 a.m. and my friend and I were light-headed from food overload. The waiter suggested we stay for dessert. He recommended the Banana Xango, for which I must go back and thank him.
This was the best dessert I believe I’ve ever had…ever. Forget ordering entrées, just order plantains and this dessert and you will be fine.
The dessert is a pastry filled with banana cheesecake, drizzled with caramel sauce, served with a side of whipped cream and two scoops of ice cream.
After we finished our dessert, the band of friendly waiters wished us a good night and held the door open for us. The food may not be five stars, but the service and ambience definitely were.
