Best Mussels In Chicago
Publican
837 W. Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-9555
www.thepublicanrestaurant.com
Known best for its oysters and pork rinds, there's so much more to enjoy at this communal seating restaurant helmed by Paul Kahan. And one of those dishes, perfect for sharing, are the mussels. Get either a half order ($16) or full ($21) of the mussels, and slurp up every last bit of the delicious broth -- made with lambic, bay, celery, butter and garlic -- with the bread that comes with it. You won't be disappointed.
La Sardine
111 N. Carpenter St.
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 421-2800
www.lasardine.com
This West Loop restaurant is all about contemporary French cuisine, including an array of mussels dishes, in a friendly environment. At either lunch or dinner, start off with a Moules au Vin Blac; priced at a reasonable $10, it includes mussels, beer, shallots and cream. But while it is an appetizer, consider yourself forewarned: this isn't an app you'll want to share. As for the entrees, warm up with a wonderful bouillabaisse packed with seafood, including mussels of course.
Hopleaf
5148 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 334-9851
www.hopleaf.com
This Andersonville bar is a destination for beer aficionados the whole city over, but while you imbibe on those craft brews, enjoy a whole array of gourmet pub food dishes. One particular dish is the mussels for two, all for a reasonable $24. You've just got two choices for this pot o' mussels, but you can't go wrong no matter which option you pick: Belgian-style (steamed in a Wittekerke white ale) or saffron-tarragon (with a white wine broth made with Toulouse sausage). Both come with both frites and aioli.
Related: Best Seafood Restaurants in Chicago
Vincent
1475 W. Balmoral Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 334-7168
www.vincentchicago.com
For Dutch cuisine, look no further than this Andersonville restaurant. Its dinner menu features an array of items, including an appetizer of braised octopus -- which comes with mussels, as well as piquillo peppers, charred eggplant puree, potatoes, lemon vinaigrette and fried capers. If you have a hankering for a bigger platter of mussels, and mussels alone, opt for a whole entree of them for $19 (which includes frites, just as it should).
The Purple Pig
500 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 464-1744
www.thepurplepigchicago.com
Even if bone marrow isn't your thing, check out this restaurant. With the three chefs behind this Magnificent Mile restaurant -- Chef Scott Harris, Tony Mantuano, and Jimmy Bannos -- there is a wonderful assortment of tapas dishes. One particular dish is on its 'a la Planca' part of the menu; the mussels are perfectly paired with creme fraiche and marjoram. It's the perfect Mediterranean-inspired dish and goes well with the other menu items, from charred green onions to razor clams.
Related: Best Fish and Chips in Chicago
Elizabeth SanFilippo is a freelance writer, who enjoys trying new foods from all over the world. But her favorite city for culinary treats will always be Chicago. When not writing about food, she's writing about a variety of topics for numerous websites and blogs, and working part-time at a culinary vacation company based in the Windy City. Some of her work can be found at Examiner.com.