A rescheduled tapas double date turned into a downtown rendezvous for four at Flex Mussels. While the premise behind having a reservation seemed to have fallen to the wayside, we were placated by the hostess with complimentary champagne. Once seated we divvied a bottle of rosé, fried clams, and two orders of truffle fries that were hauntingly nutty and gratifyingly salty. Fortunately, the mussels were the star of the show, each variety a unique creation swathed by its own depot of flavors and ingredients. For the purist subsists the Classic, made with white wine, herbs, and garlic.
For something a little more indulgent, opt for the Parma, comprised of cream marked with Parmigiano, cut with lemon, scallions, toasted garlic, and shallots. Alternatively, the Bisque and Maine make for a more luxurious pot of mussels. Both include a few chunks of lobster. Best of all there was an endless supply of fresh bread to partake in the Italian custom of scarpetta, that is the sopping up of those last remnants of sauce on your plate with crusty bread. Albeit this did not happen at the end of our meal but throughout the evening, making for a dinner date that was all the more cheerful.
In the dessert department, Flex Mussels keeps things simple and easygoing. For the donut enthusiast, an unexpectedly full range of flavorsome fried cakes awaits. Most pleasant were the Meyer lemon, which isn’t too sweet, and the highly-sought-after salted carmel.
Flex Mussels
154 W 13th St.
NY, NY, 10011
Darabzine 