Mussels and Frites

For a long time now, Nate and I have been saying we want to order mussels with frites at the Cafe Hollander in Tosa. My first--and only, really--experience with mussels was at a restaurant in France when I was in high school. They were cooked in a very rich, delicious creamy sauce. So I was excited to have them again.

So Nate and I finally ordered them Friday night, after touring around the Village of Wauwatosa at the annual Art Walk (which was a lot of fun, by the way). We ordered two pounds of mussels with the classic cream sauce, which for $2 more came with frites. And we got a basil-aioli dipping sauce on the side. The mussels came with a bit of French bread.



Unfortunately, the meal wasn't quite as good as we both had hoped. For one, the frites were just slightly warm, not hot like you want a French fry to be, and a bit too soft. I realize it was late (we ate at probably about 9 p.m.), but still. At first, it didn't seem like there was any sauce on the mussels, but we later realized it was all just at the bottom of the pot, underneath everything. The sauce was OK, but it was pretty thin and didn't coat the mussels very well. I'd definitely order mussels again, but just not at Hollander.

And, of course, the darn picture won't flip, so you'll have to turn your head to see it. :)