3. Lyon Hall
Belgians aren’t the only ones who like to flex their mussels. This French-style brasserie in Clarendon serves a handful of preparations, including a Basque bowl flavored with chorizo and garlic in a spicy tomato sauce, and a summer special accented with grilled corn, potato, garlic sausage, spinach and pilsner beer. At dinnertime, the price hovers around $15 a pot, but they go for $10 each during lunch.
3100 Washington Blvd., Arlington; lyonhallarlington.com
4. Requin
If you haven’t tried chef Jennifer Carroll’s cooking yet, you need to get yourself over to the Mosaic District tout suite. Her mussels can be ordered in half or whole portions, with one bowl packing white wine and garlic salami, another featuring a spicy tomato broth, and a third that’s accented with coconut curry. Each order arrives with herb fries and garlic bread.
8296 Glass Alley, Merrifield; requinbymic.com