re: Louisianians who moved away, do you find the food to be as good?

I absolutely love Cajun and Creole food. LA is somewhat unique in that it has its own food culture and cuisine that has been around for centuries. Over that time, restaurants and even home cooks have learned to cook those dishes better than anyone in the country. Even if it's not traditional Cajun or Creole, cooks are using lessons from their native food and applying them to other cuisines with great results.

I agree that this rich history makes LA the home of some REALLY great food covering many different cuisines. But to say places like SF, Chicago, NYC, Houston, etc., other places with rich ethnic cultures, don't have amazing food as well? Nah..gotta disagree strongly.