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.

quick 'n easy dinner party

recipe for an impromptu dinner party with 1.5 hours of prep and cook time is usually a recipe for disaster and stress, but i was pleasantly surprised with the results of this very easy dinner.

garlic bread (sourdough baguette slices generously covered in butter, fresh garlic, basil/parsley, parmesan. i drizzled e.v.o.o after baking but the slices still turned into croutons by the end of the night -- why?)

field greens with lemon-champagne-vinaigrette

orzo with cherry tomatoes, feta, and dill. recipe ganked from epicurious. for the orzo i used a mix of orange, yellow, and red grape/cherry tomatoes. i thought it looked prettier than the all-red version below. if you are fortunate enough to have a lemon tree in your backyard like i do, use plenty of fresh lemon zest.
spiced roast chicken breast also from epicurious. this was the star of the night! it seemed very basic -- rub cumin, coriander, chili powder, black pepper, and cinnamon (in other words, every dark spice on hand) into chicken breast, brown in skillet and roast in oven, add water to pan and deglaze over high heat, add juice after plating. mmmm. i used a boneless skinless breast from whole foods and it stayed juicy, even after reheating in oven to accommodate guest arrival times. chicken is so easy and forgiving, but i often find it bland (blander than tofu). this recipe is the opposite of bland. next time i think i will go for the breast with skin.

by the way, don't ever buy dried fava beans if you can get fresh. they turn brown, take forever to boil, smell like bad breath. i tried to make a fava bean bruschetta with dried beans and it was a waste of time.

this reminds me that i need to write a future blog about whole foods. laterz!