Fried Dough (The South cont'd)

Yes, the illusive and infamous French doughnuts I like to refer to as fried dough, aka beignets, at the well-known establishment, Cafe Du Monde. I'm sure you all know the drill here: sit down at a small table under the terrace, put in an order of beignets (comes in 3), and receive fresh, piping-hot beignets in a matter of minutes. How do they do it so well and so effortlessly - serving soft, chewy, and perfectly deep fried pieces of dough 24 hours a day?

I was hoping to find someone back there in Cafe Du Monde's kitchen who had been making beignets since they were 5 years old, carrying on the tradition, and knowing exactly how to prepare the yeasted dough without even thinking about it. Today, it is more reminiscent of a fast-food joint-- various ethnic minority workers (sorry) hustling to take orders for numerous groups of tourists. For all I know, there might be someone hiding in back holding all of Cafe Du Monde's secrets, but I think what Cafe Du Monde has done rather successfully is carry on their technique of making delicious beignets into a life-long establishment that would otherwise be a shell of its former self (not that I have any idea as to what Cafe Du Monde looked like in 1862). My point is that although there isn't the charm of some mom and pop smiling, graciously receiving my presence and artfully preparing my beignets from their own hands, the beignets are still fucking good -- so good in fact that we went back 3 times that day.

Behold: beignet factory

Brings tears to my eyes thinking about these delicious morsels in my mouth

Southern Exposure Continued: Mosca's, Heavenly Since 1946

On the road from Austin to New Orleans, we stopped for dinner at a very special place in Avondale, LA, called Mosca's. Since 1946, Mosca's has been serving classic, unpretentious Italian fare. In what probably used to be a small roadside house, Mosca's had an atmosphere that spoke pure Americana: warm yellow lighting, jukeboxes, and separate dining rooms.

We started with a classy Italian salad of iceberg, pickled carrots and cauliflower, and red wine vinaigrette. A large party of locals sat down next to us for what seemed to be a birthday party, but everything that came to our table following managed to drown the noise coming from their side of the room. Yes, everything that normally might annoy a diner trying to concentrate on his/her eating was mitigated by the ensuing deliciousness.

Oysters Mosca: Local LA oysters (read: Large), gratin style

Jesus Christ. Wish we ordered two. I would eat this for breakfast every morning if I could.

Chicken a la Grande: Sauteed chicken with rosemary, garlic, and white wine
Succulent, salty, aromatic.

The best spaghetti and meatballs I've ever had, and probably will ever have, in my life.

Everything was amazing. But the real standout was the spaghetti and meatballs, and only for the following reason- It's easy to assume that a dish so simple and widely cooked by amateurs in homes throughout America would be hard to mess up, but every spaghetti and meatballs I've had since has truly paled in comparison. Mosca's version uses a fine (angel hair) pasta, has a deep, rich marinara sauce that was indubitably simmered for hours. The meatballs were fall-apart tender, the way meatballs should be. I have no idea how to make spaghetti and meatballs like this.