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.