Mussels and french fries and cocktails and wine and a burger and salads and a pasta dish and pure bliss.

La Moule is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. I learned to love mussels here — and try to restrain myself at other restaurants from ordering mussels because they rarely are as good.

The menu is relatively small, but I’ve never had a bad dish. The pasta changes with what’s available, and is a great option for folks who don’t care for seafood or meat. Even for those of us who do eat seafood, it’s sometimes hard to resist.

The wine and cocktails have always been a delight. If ordering a bottle of wine, I usually ask for a suggestion since they carry inexpensive wine that I’ve never heard of. That being said, I have a hard time resisting their cocktail menu. They can also make delightful low- to zero-proof drinks.

If I lived around the corner, I’d be eating at their back bar for happy hour meals far too often.

When you first enter at the corner, you enter into one of two main dining areas and can see into the bustling kitchen. To your left, there is another room with more seating and a delightful bar that takes drop-ins. As La Moule gets going for the evening, the noise levels escalate. Plan accordingly.

What I eat: green salad and split the classic Marinière mussels with a dining partner. Fries and all the sauces. Something tasty to drink.

The details:

2500 SE Clinton St.
Portland, OR 97202

Website: http://lamoulepdx.com/

Make a reservation via Open Table

And enjoy!