Make mine mussels: A Calgary seafood standard
Mussels are those black-shelled mollusks that are so often served in a flavourful broth with bread or French fries to soak up the extra juices. A staple of French, Spanish and East Coast North American cuisines, there are many delicious ways to prepare mussels, with or without the accompaniment of other seafood. Here are some of the best places in Calgary to get your mussels fix.
Catch Restaurant & Oyster Bar
100 Stephen Ave SE, Calgary AB T3Z 3J7The upstairs space at Catch offers an upscale seafood experience but downstairs at the Oyster Bar you don’t just get a more relaxed (and possibly rowdy, especially if you catch the after-work crowd) experience, you get to choose from a variety of mussel preparations (Thai curry, Provencal and the very compelling bacon and mushroom) or big plates that mix mussels with other ocean delights.
Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro
113 8 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2P 1B4Is there any more sophisticated snacking than a plate of mussels with frites and a good glass of wine in a bustling New York-style bistro? Divino’s mussels appetizer is served with tomatoes and garlic in a white wine and caper broth (perfect to dip those fries into), making it the perfect combination of upscale and casual, just like the restaurant itself.
Sky 360
101 9 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2P 1J9Making a lunch of mussels while getting a bird’s eye view of the city from the Calgary Tower’s elegant revolving restaurant? Sounds like a pretty spectacular afternoon, especially when you’re digging into a plate of P.E.I. mussels swimming in a smoked tomato broth with chorizo sausage and a side of focaccia to mop everything up.
Custom Kitchen
113-1803 60 St Se, Calgary AB T2B 0M5This chic Beltline brasserie is decked out with checkerboard floors, tiled walls and other Parisian details, so it’s natural that it offers up a suitably French-style mussels dish. Parc Café and Brasserie’s entree-size mussels dish is jazzed up with double-smoked bacon, onions and cider. Start with one of eatery’s mixed green salads for a perfectly balanced meal.
Posto Pizzeria and Bar
1014 8th Street SW, Calgary AB T2R 1K2Bonterra Trattoria’s sister restaurant and next door neighbour, Posto specializes in richly topped thin-crust pizzas, but it also features some nice pastas for those hankering for noodles rather than flatbread. The black pepper linguine is topped with a nice portion of mussels as well as prosciutto, leeks, tomato and fresno chili.
Barcelona Tavern
501 8 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2P 1G1Mussels are a key part of Spanish cuisine and Barcelona Tavern does its namesake city proud. There are two P.E.I. mussels dishes on the menu: for something spicy, go for the mussels chorizo with white wine, Pernod and oven-dried tomato, or for something even richer, the mussels tarragon cream with aged sherry and fresh sourdough.
Murrieta's Inc
200-808 1 St Sw, Calgary AB T2P 1M9This downtown stand-by (known for its killer wine list) sits in a gorgeous historical building and gives diners a great view of bustling foot traffic on Stephen Avenue Walk. If you’re in the mood for mussels, try the lip-smacking cioppino, a tomato-based fish stew packed with mussels, scallops, whatever fish is in season, prawns and some angel hair pasta.
Rodney's Oyster House
355 10 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2R 0A5Unlike some other seafood joints in town, rather than being inspired by European flavours, Rodney’s is a wholly Canadian East Coast affair, with owner Rodney Clark (yes, there is an actual Rodney) having learned his trade in his home province of P.E.I. While oysters rule here, Rodney also does a mean mussel. Get fresh steamed mussels when they’re in season or cold marinated mussels any time of the year.
Notable The Restaurant
133-4611 Bowness Rd NW, Calgary AB T3B 0B2While chef Michael Noble’s cozy restaurant in Montgomery is best known for its rotisserie meats, the kitchen also puts out some very popular seafood dishes. Notable imports its West Coast mussels from Salt Spring Island and pairs them with a Thai curry broth and plenty of crusty bread for sopping.
Ox Bar De Tapas
528 17 Ave SW, Calgary AB T2S 0B1A contemporary and very stylish Spanish restaurant with a particularly tempting cocktail list, Ox and Angela has an extensive tapas menu, which includes mussels done in a traditional escabeche style (marinated in a vinegar-based sauce). Ox’s tapas-sized version is served with friend bread and a mojo verde dipping sauce on the side.
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