Best of Toronto
The Best Mussels in Toronto
The best mussels in Toronto are united by one common thread - the best broth. It's a fact. The delightful ritual of plucking those plump morsels from their shell - while delicious on their own - is but a thinly veiled guise to consume the rich, decadent flavours they're cooked in.
It's what makes them so versatile, an empty vessel, a canvas waiting for colour. Of course, if that were all there was to it, this would be a piece about the best broth in Toronto. In order to produce a truly transcendent mountain of mollusks, the quality of the product must be taken into account as well.
Lucky for seafood fans, today - as in right now - is the best time of year to consume the little divers. Autumn is when mussels fatten up for the winter - yes, like squirrels, bears and many people, mussels put on a little winter weight - which is good news for the city's epicureans who may in turn, feast their way to a winter layer themselves.
Here are the 11 best mussels in Toronto.
Rodney's Oyster House/Rodney's By Bay
Rodney Clark is the city’s undisputed oyster king, but evidence shows that his kingdom might expand to contain all mollusks. At Rodney’s Oyster House on King West and Rodney's by Bay in the Financial District their mussels are timeless and traditional, white wine, garlic, butter and a flash of fresh herbs. But when you have the kind of quality Rodney does, you don’t need to put too much camouflage on your product, you put it front and centre. More »
Beerbistro
As the name suggests, Beerbistro caters to the discerning beer drinker. But it’s not just their taps they can boast about, beer makes its way into the menu in a big way too and I can think of no better way than forming the basis of a broth accompanying a big bowl of beautiful plump mussels. More »
Starfish
Starfish is the product of world champion oyster shucker Patrick McMurray. Since 2001 this little oasis just east of Yonge has been offering some of the best seafood you’ll find citywide. It changes regularly so only the finest, freshest mussels, oysters and other shellfish makes it onto the menu. More »
The Banknote
For ten years the Banknote has been inviting its customers in on Tuesday nights for all-you-can-eat mussels and for ten years they’ve been packing the place. It’s the only day they do them and when they’re gone, they’re gone – which is part of what keeps them special and part of what makes Tuesday night plans a no-brainer. More »
Smokeless Joe
At Smokeless Joe variety is key. Not only does a picky mussel eater get to choose from about a dozen different dishes, but then gets the added task of choosing from their incredible selection of beer - I recommend something brewed by monks. These are what we call, good problems. More »
Sarah's Cafe
Sarah’s is a culinary oasis in an area not generally known for its cuisine. Located between Greenwood and Coxwell on the Danforth, the local hangout serves mussels 12 ways - Mariniere (garlic and cream), Provencal (tomato, garlic and basil) plus 10 more. The style you choose is up to you. Either way they’re plump, fresh and dressed to impress. More »
Vivoli
At Vivoli, they rely of the simplicity of the Mediterranean to create an uncluttered menu that highlights all the best flavours of Italy. The mussels are prepared two ways - in spicy marinara or white wine and garlic. Either one will have you dreaming of summers in Florence whether you’ve been there before or not. More »
Tati Bistro
Tati Bistro serves their Moules Marinieres as any proper French restaurant should - with a side of delicate, crispy frites. A sublime combination that only improves when you combine the two and let the salty French fries soak up some of that heavenly broth. More »
3 Speed
If you’re unfamiliar, you might assume 3 Speed is a west end watering hole with a menu available strictly to fulfill legal obligations. You’d be right about the watering hole – it’s a great one – but to ignore the top-notch menu would be to miss out on some of the honest to goodness, best mussels this city has to offer and don’t even get me started about the burger. More »
Atlantic Restaurant
At Atlantic, dishes are served small and relatively cheap. That means that along with your mussels you can snack on an order of salt-chili crickets, sea urchin, and escargot. It’s a decidedly adventurous and unique restaurant disguised as a rundown old fish shop. More »
Discussion
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Sorry, someone had to make a homonym joke.
- Get 2 pounds of Fresh mussels at Loblaws for $ 5.00
- Clean the shells, wash them under cold water.
- Put 20 g of butter, 1 chopped shallot and a glass of white wine in a cooking pot
- Turn up the heat and add the mussels
- Mix, cover, Wait 3 minutes, Mix, Cover Wait until they open
- Remove the mussels
- Add 2 spoons of Sour cream, chopped parsley, salt, pepper to the broth.
- Wait until the broth boils. Remove and serve on top on the mussels
And VOILA, Enjoy Fresh “Moules Marinieres” with some friends and a good bottle of white wine
It is AMAZING. So amazing that they really should bottle and sell the broth.
http://www.lavecchia.ca
Sure I'll cook something up every once in a while, but it's got to be a large amount that'll last me a week, to be worth the effort.
Langolino restaurant off of College street ............mmmm.
Yum Yum - I would even go out on a cold night like tonight for them........tell her to make it a bit spicy.......yum yum.
Don't you guys ever get tired of having to qualify your disingenuous "best of" headlines in the comments?
I miss going there as I have moved west to Vancouver Island.
Cheers
Richard Brown
In the Summer, The NS Mussel has a few degrees colder water to stymie their meats thinning to the reproduction cycle. Though there is a slight bitterness on the after finish of aNova Scotia Blue Mussel, rather than the signature sweet of all of PEI's mollusk Families.
The mussel calendar is tres important, as is the time out of water, to a freshness factor.
Yes, this is, as in now, is a mussel moment.
No mater where the mussel is coming from!
The ocean is 1800 miles away.
Now, for a treat, look for the Honey Mussel of Vancouver Island, one of the 4 families of mussels we can get our lips on in Canada.
They had about 35 different ways of serving mussels, prepared in scotch to mussels cooked in a superb Belgian Beer.They arrived at your table in the pot they were cooked in.
Cafe Brussels served real honest a goodness Frites. Fabulous I can taste them now.
A great loss to mussel lovers in TO.
Oh well the next visit to my home sod I will have to try out some of the of the establishments that specialize in Mussels.
Cheers
Richard
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM AND HAVE TRIED THEM EVERYWHERE. THE BEST ARE AT ROCCO'S DONE IN TARRAGON AND VODKA - WOW WOW WOW