The Unvegan

Going to Bossa Nova is not the easiest dining experience around. This is nothing of their fault. I’ve never had any trouble getting a table or getting good service. Rather, it is the difficulty in deciding what to get from their textbook of a menu.

The possibilities are almost limitless, ranging from sandwiches to pizza to pasta to steak. And somehow this is a Brazilian restaurant. With so many options, they manage to have a good amount of unvegan food.

Since I was at a Brazilian restaurant, I decided to get the Picanha Steak. It is a special Brazilian cut that has never let me down. It comes from the “Hot from Bossa Nova Grill” section, meaning I also get plantains, rice, beans, yucca flour and salsa. Not bad for $15.99.

When my plate came, it looked almost perfect. There was a strange green (parsley?) garnish on my rice that could be easily removed and the salsa was actually more like pico de gallo, but that could also be easily avoided. I cut into the steak and it tasted like grilled bliss. The best part was that I knew I didn’t have to finish the steak so fast, since I could keep myself occupied by rice and beans in-between steak bites. I was, however, a bit confused by the yucca flour.   I tried rubbing some on my steak, which helped enhance the flavor. I also thought it might make a nice addition to the beans, which were a bit waterier than I prefer. It also made those taste better. Perhaps yucca flour is the miracle condiment that I’ve never discovered. Next time I’ll have to see how it tastes with fries.

In all, Bossa Nova gave a me a great meal and filled me all the way up. Next time I want a great steak (or really any variety of food that they offer), I’ll be sure to pay them another visit.