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Nathan Cameron

The Blue Mussel, PEI 2021

The best seafood on the Island PERIOD


A journey of decades


Eating on Prince Edward Island has always been a chore for me. Mediocre deep fried seafood galore. Tourist traps as far as the eye can see. Last years discovery of The Inn at Bay Fortune and Tera Rosa was a revelation. However Tera Rosa didn't survive the pandemic, and Bay Fortune is horrifyingly expensive. So the search continues, but with more hope than before.


Premier Seafood with a waitlist


The blue mussel is great. Its not cheap, but it isn't unattainable either. You won't find deep-fried platters here, but you will leave full and the flavours will inspire. What follows is. If you are bored with Island classics, stop here for fresh local ingredients used in ways that will knock your socks off. Be warned. they do not take reservations and the wait can be longer than 2 hours. They run a Yelp waitlist so you can sign up for the waitlist before you even start driving to North Rustico and time your arrival. Its actually really nice, but could be frustrating for some.

3 Courses, twice

The blue mussel was so good that we visited twice. So please be aware that my wife and I shared a total of 6 courses, and ordered different items for each. We did not eat the following 12 dishes all at once.



Whistle Whetters

The starter menu consisted of both sharing and individual plates from heavy chowders to light tartare. We shared some classics with my family and tied a few more adventurous items on our own. Daisy Bay Oysters: Served with house mignonette and and cocktail sauce. They were very fresh. Much better than the oysters served in many tourist traps.


Steamed Blue Mussels Jardiniere: Mussels were fresh and cooked with white wine and garlic. Pretty classic. nothing to write a blog about.


Smoked Charcuterie Board: This one was a big deal! definitely in the top 5 boards we have every consumed but picky eaters beware! Smoked mackerel and salmon carried big flavor. Both fish are quite fatty, with the mackerel being borderline greasy which played nicely with the rest of the board. The cheeses were all local, there exact types escape me now. A sharp cheddar, a pepper filled gouda, and something similar to a brie. To cut through all the fat was a variety of preserves and condiments: pickled grapes and beets, mango chutney, fresh beans and cucumbers, a tomato sauce. fresh crostini with a balsamic reduction. Well balanced with lots of items to mix and match.


Tuna Tartare: Big Boy #2! Mixed with sesame, ginger, cucumber, corn, burnt citrus dust, caramelized onion, garlic, miso avocado, and crostini. This was light and fresh, while still bursting with big bold flavours from the ginger and miso. It was also somehow very simple. It would actually be a good introduction to tartare for a new foodie or picky eater who is willing to branch out.



Island Showstoppers

The main draw at the Blue Mussel is an array of fresh seafood. There are menu staples like The Bubbly bake mentioned below, as well as halibut which is only served when the restaurant can butcher the fish itself to ensure freshness.

Seafood Bubbly Bake: Picky Eaters rejoice! a baked plate of melted cheese covering seafood and greens. This was a pretty classic seafood casserole with lobster, halibut, and scallops. Personally, this is a waste of those three items. However, for most people, I believe this would be the big winner at the Blue Mussel.


Sautéed Scallops: Perfectly seared and salted sea scallops cooked in butter and served with garlic and rosemary vegetables. The veggies were good enough to mention but the scallops are very obviously the big deal here. The sear was dark and crisp, the salt punchy, and the butter was a nice accent. Scallop lovers probably don't need to bother going anywhere else on the Island. Scallop Linguine: Cream, parmesan, capers, mushrooms, with scallops and bacon, serve with fresh bread. The scallops were large enough and plentiful enough that the heavy cream sauce and noodles didn't hide them. This is the best choice for big appetites. This was heavy enough to sink a dreadnaught. Excellent pasta dish nothing crazy, just classic. Pan Fried Haddock: Served with potatoes wedges and roasted veggies. As far as fried fish goes, this was one of the best. I have become sick of fish and chips with heavy, thick, greasy batter. This was not that . Light, crisp, barely-there batter enveloping a nicely cooked fillet.


Halibut: We were lucky enough to be there when there was fresh halibut. Served with the same roasted veggies as some of the other dishes, and a nice light mango salsa. Salty and crisp with the sweetness from the salsa cutting through. very nice.


Sweets

The dessert menu was a chalkboard that is updated daily, I assume.


Chocolate Mousse Cake: A creative looking dessert with layered chocolate crumble, cake, rum-soaked raspberries, and chocolate mousse. served with fresh berries and whipped cream. This was a nice end the the meal, and lighter than I had expected which was nice. the raspberry-rum filling was nice. Nothing special, but definitely satisfying.


Blueberry Pie: Another classic. Nothing special to see here. Nothing disappointing either.


TL;DR


Overall rating: 8/10 Local seafood, with a few meat dishes available. Fresh ingredients, cooked to perfection in traditional dishes. Not a creative joint, but high quality none the less.


Why you should go there: Tired of tourists traps on the Island? like something other than boiled and steamed crustaceans and battered fish. GO HERE.


Price Point: $$$ Starters $10-32, Mains $22-36, Desserts around $10


Atmosphere: Seaside diner style. Loud with wooden board tables and wooden slat floors. Bring your friends and have a small party.

Food Style: High quality maritime fare. right from the fishmonger to the table.

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