by Richard S. » Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:16 pm
Only resurrecting this because I was in New Orleans last week and dined at Rocky & Carlo's. I never had the chance to get a muffaletta while I was their, though, so to make up for it we ran over the Lotsa Pasta today to grab a couple. Their version is pretty close to the one served at Central Grocery in New Orleans. While I was waiting I checked out the pasta shelf. They were well stocked on bucatini, although it's not the same as the "long macaroni" Rocky & Carlo's uses for their mac & cheese. That pasta is the thickness of regular macaroni, just as long as spaghetti. The bucatini at Lotsa Pasta is not much thicker than regular spaghetti, just with a hole in the middle.
On both the drive down there and on the way back (about 11 hours each way) I also got the chance to indulge in another guilty pleasure, hamburgers from Milo's. It's a regional chain out of Birmingham, where I lived for a few years. They only have locations in Alabama, although their sweet tea is sold by the gallon at Walmart. The menu is basic burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. The burgers are served on a bun with a burger patty and about half of a chopped-up patty on top of that, finished with onions, pickles and a barbecue sauce that's reminiscent of McRib sauce. Once assembled, it's pressed in a panini press. Awesome.