The new kid from the Bloc

LOS ANGELES is such an international crossroads that sometimes it’s easy to forget that we didn’t invent multiculturalism. Many of the world’s great cities have experienced successive waves of immigration or invasion. And some, perhaps, have simply traded with and absorbed the customs of their neighbors.

These days, the Eastern European country of Bulgaria -- capital city Sofia -- has six immediate neighbors: Romania (across the Danube to the north), Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, plus an eastern coast on the Black Sea -- across which are Russia, the Ukraine and Georgia.

It may make for political madness, but it also makes for culinary richness.

Danube, L.A.’s only Bulgarian restaurant, opened three months ago. It’s a tiny, tidy storefront cafe on Westwood Boulevard, and it’s worth a trip across town to try its wonderful mix of unique national dishes and border-crossing regional specialties. And if you live in the area, it might end up being a favorite neighborhood spot.

The kitchen, headed by owner Rafi Sarkisian’s mother, Vanni, is accomplished and consistent, so it’s no surprise that the back room always seems to be booked by a private party of expats. But unlike so many of L.A.’s Russian restaurants, for example, which seem to be more social clubs than public restaurants, Danube is welcoming and comfortable.

The decor is unassuming: simple white walls, tables with beautiful red woven tablecloths, a few travel mementos and a TV screen playing what seems to be Bulgarian MTV, with videos of folk-costumed accordion players gamboling in what one person at our table swears is her mother’s backyard in Encino.

The menu is an appealing mix of mostly familiar Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Eastern European dishes, sometimes featuring unique ingredients such as Bulgarian yogurt or cheese or generous amounts of the herb devesil (lovage). But there are also some carefully chosen Bulgarian favorites that allow you to sample national dishes with each course. If you choose these, you’ll get a home-style introduction to the cuisine.

Start with vita banitca, a marvelous bread wreath the size of a Danish pastry, made with filo dough and a filling of two cheeses, eggs and herbs. It’s one of the best reasons for a butter-cheese splurge you could hope to find, fragrant, savory and hot from the oven. Cut it into wedges and pass it around the table.

Yogurt, said by some food historians to have originated in Bulgaria, is central to the cuisine. Its different uses are hinted at in two appetizers. One, called snow white, is a rich but refreshing combination of Bulgarian yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil and walnuts served on its own -- a spoonable salad. Another, thicker, almost cheesy and dense with dill, is served with thinly sliced and fried zucchini.

Chushka burek, a tasty starter, is reminiscent of a chile relleno; it’s a breaded pepper filled with Bulgarian feta, herbs and spices. The feta, also showcased in dishes such as shopska salad, is rich and flavorful, and the dish has a nice spicy kick.

Unusual entrees include kebapche, which is like a pork kefta, seasoned ground meat formed into sausage-like rolls and served with salad and terrific fries. The pork tenderloin roll is outstanding, a kind of cordon bleu with a good piece of tenderloin rolled around mushrooms, ham, cornichons and mozzarella. Baked cheese in a ceramic pot is a homey and satisfying quiche-like concoction with tomatoes, ham and jalapeno.

My party ate fairly early on each visit, but, even so, it turned out that there was usually just one or two pieces left of the apparently already famous house-made garash cake, a delightful and not-too-sweet dessert made with layers of meringue, walnuts and superb bitter chocolate. We shared, but next time I’ll heed the bumper sticker and order dessert first.

Service is unhurried and the made-to-order dishes aren’t rushed out of the kitchen, so plan on brown-bagging a bottle of wine and taking your time. Just deciding what to order is like standing at one of those cartoon crossroads with signs pointing every which way. Happily, at Danube, you’ll be fine whichever direction you march off in.

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Danube

Location: 1303 Westwood Blvd., L.A., (310) 473-2414.

Price: Appetizers, $3.50 to $6; soups and salads, $4.50 to $7; entrees, $9 to $18.

Best dishes: Vita banitca, fried zucchini with yogurt-garlic dip, Russian salad, stuffed bell peppers, pork tenderloin rolls, lamb kebab baked in parchment paper.

Details: Open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m.