Flex Your Mussels

My parents' trip here this past weekend had multiple objectives: 1) help me get everything in order for an apartment I am hoping (praying) to get 2) spend some quality time with their one and only daughter and 3) celebrate both of their birthdays.  I was unable to spend my mother's birthday with her so on Thursday, the two month anniversary of her bday, we went to a restaurant that was tailor-made for the one and only Marcy Konter.  My mother loves moules frites so choosing a restaurant for her was a no brainer - no one does them quite like Flex Mussels.  There are 23 different versions of mussels on the menu which means there is something for everyone. 

Before I get to the bivalves, let's talk starters.  Daddy got a tuna carpaccio that he offered up with the warning if I didn't taste it right then, it would be gone.  That's always a good sign.  I had walked past a man eating a wedge salad at the bar and couldn't stop thinking about it so I knew it had to make it to the table.  It was perfect.  It was nontraditional in that it had radishes and grapes - the addition of the radishes didn't seem so crazy, but grapes are new to the wedge salad kingdom.  After trying it, I think I'll keep them around.  The bacon was thick and perfect and there was the perfect amount of blue cheese (I requested light dressing).  It's a $12 appetizer salad, but it really hit the spot.

They get quite inventive when it comes to mussels.  They have the normal versions on the menu (white wine and garlic), but then they sprawl into new territories.  Here, mussels take on Thai, soul food, and creamy Italian.  We each ordered a different variation to take full advantage of the menu and then argued over who picked the best one.  My Mom ordered the pesto, my Daddy went with the Acadian, and I chose the San Danielle.  I loved the large chunks of salty prosciutto and sweet caramelized onions that floated in my white wine and garlic broth.  I couldn't stop sopping it up with bread and fries.  I wasn't the only one.  We each dug into our pots with reckless abandon.  I actually thought about asking for a doggy bag for my leftover sauce so I could pour it over rice or pasta later.  I held my tongue because it seemed like a somewhat gauche request, but part of me wishes I did it anyway.  The pots, by the way, are huge and come with plenty of bread for dunking so the $18-$24 price range is actually pretty reasonable.  Where they get you is the apps and dessert.  Yes, the wedge was great, but it's not necessary.  The desserts, however, should be mandatory.

Flex Mussels' pastry chef, Zac Young has made quite the name for himself on Bravo's Top Chef: Desserts.  His creativity is embodied in the swedish fish ice cream that accompanied our pineapple upside down cake.  I would have been satisfied to stop there, but then I would have missed out on the doughnuts, and that would have been a true shame.  I apologize for not taking pictures, but I wanted to dig in, while everything was still warm and melty.  The rotating boozy doughnut didn't appeal to us that night, but the other available flavors were too appealing to mind.  We tried the meyer lemon, peanut butter and jelly, smores, and salted caramel.  I can't even begin to pick a favorite.

Flex Mussels has entered the ranks as favorite - a favorite I can afford to eat at on a somewhat regular basis.  With so many flavors on the menu, I could easily go weekly and not get tired of it.     

San Danielle

Digging in