My mom is such a fan that she requested this Belgian restaurant in the Palisades for her 90th birthday, where she would have ordered waffles (“the best!”) had only they been served at night. Me? I go for the superlative steamed mussels in a double-decker pot, the top of which is used for empty shells. My current pick involves a base of creamy red curry, resonating with lemongrass and ginger. But the stars of the show are the plump Dutch-style mussels themselves, which chef-owner Claudio Pirollo buys from a Belgian family in Maine. Eaten with crisp golden fries, the best around, the mussels make a joyful meal for just under $25.

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