Mozzarella Di Bufala

Mozzarella Di Bufala
1529 Fillmore St (Geary Blvd), 346-9888
69 West Portal Ave. 681-8900
Open 7 days, Sun–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri. & Sat. to midnight.

Until recently, one owner had two restaurants on Fillmore Street, one Brazilian and one pizza. Now they are combined in an Italian pizza restaurant that also serves many of the former’s Brazilian dishes. The former Brazilian cook was retained. (The cook at West Portal is Salvadoran, with long experience). Both use high-quality whole-milk mozzarella in their pizzas.

The Fillmore St. restaurant has 30 seats, the West Portal one 25. The Fillmore place is a barebones section behind the pizza operation, which fronts the restaurant. It is neat and clean. The West Portal location resembles an Italian trattoria. Both Mozzarella Di Bufala's serve the gamut of Italian dishes — appetizers, breads, salads, sandwiches, pastas, poultry dishes, & desserts. As indicated above, they also offer a range of Brazilian entrees. And they do all of it well, and at affordable prices. Portions, especially pastas, are large.

Dinner menu

Pizzas — Cheese only, mini (10”, 4 slices) $6.30, small (12”, 6 slices) $8.80, medium (14”, 8 slices) $10,70, large (16”, 10 slices) $12.65.

Cheese with 1 topping — $7.40-14.80.

Cheese with 2-6 toppings, approximately $1 for each additional topping. Cheese toppings include feta, ricotta, parmesan, gorgonzola. Meat toppings include pepperoni, salami, ham, chicken. Vegetarian toppings include almost 30 items, e.g., tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, pineapple, broccoli, onions, pesto. Seafood toppings include anchovies, shrimp, clams.

Olive oil cornmeal-crust pan pizzas — cheese only 12” $10.50, 14” $11.50. Additional toppings $1 each topping.

Authentic Brazilian dishes — e.g., chicken pieces sautéed in a saffron dark beer sauce with peppers, onions & tomatoes, & served with rice & spinach $11,95, Feijoada (national dish) black bean stew with fresh and smoked meats (pork & beef), collard greens, rice, & faroga (toasted yucca flour) $12, fresh halibut or prawns sautéed with coconut milk, cilantro, red palm oil, green & red peppers, onions, tomatoes, served with spinach & rice $12.75, grilled N.Y. steak (8 ozs) with onions, roasted garlic, served with rice, red beans, & collard greens $12.95, (in Fillmore location only) grilled beef, pork, or chicken, served with rice, red beans, French fries, & white-onion tomato salad $12.

Appetizers and breads — e.g., zucchini sticks (8 pieces) beer-battered & deep-fried with marinara sauce $4.50, hot wings baked house made lemon-paprika-pepper sauce (8 pieces) $5.50, steamed mussels in a light white-wine sauce $6.95, grilled prawns served with small mixed green salad $8.25, baked garlic bread, olive oil, oregano, parmesan $2.50.

Pastas & poultry — e.g., spaghetti marinara $6.75, fettuccine with sautéed vegetables & choice of sauce $7.95, spaghetti & meatballs in a spicy marinara sauce $8.95, eggplant marinara with ricotta & mozzarella cheeses $9.95, spaghetti with clams, mussels, prawns, fish sautéed in a light wine marinara sauce $11.50, chicken sautéed in marsala wine with mushrooms, served with vegetables $11.50.

Salads — e.g., house salad $3.10, Greek salad $6.25, Caesar salad $5.95, with chicken $7.10, hearts of palm salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives $7.75, Bay shrimp salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon $7.95.

Sandwiches (on soft French bread, with tomato sauce & fresh tomatoes) — e.g., meatball sandwich with ground beef & pork, topped with provolone cheese and fresh tomatoes $5.25, pizza sub with salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, & fresh tomatoes $5.25, eggplant sandwich with provolone cheese & fresh tomatoes $5.25, vegetarian sandwich with onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, provolone cheese $5.25.

Desserts — e.g., N.Y. or raspberry cheesecake $4, tiramisu $4.50.

Beverages, beer, wine — e.g., sodas $1, Brazilian guarana $1.50, domestic beer $2.50, imported beer $3.50. Red wines include an Italian for $14 (Spaletti, Chianti, Tuscany), an Australian Shiraz cabernet for $14 (Rosemount). and Argentinean for $14 (Bodega Norton Malbec). Italian white wines start at $12 (Pinot Grigio – Veneto).

Lunch

There is a daily lunch which changes often. A typical one offered a large slice of pizza with two toppings, with small salad & soft drink for $3.95, a cup of soup & a small salad, with French bread $3.95, spaghetti with meat & tomato sauce, with side of garlic bread & soft drink $4.95, hot sausage sandwich with provolone cheese, tomatoes & red onions $4.95, 8-inch pizza & small salad $5.50, ham & cheese sandwich (cold) with French fries & soft drink $4.95.

At lunch the pizzas are mostly $2 less than at dinner, most salads $1 less, pastas $2 less.

Note: The printed menu — available at the restaurant — contains several discounts, so it pays to consult it before ordering.

to enlarge

Exterior of West Portal
Mozarella Di bufala