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THE FARMHOUSE MOULES/FRITES NIGHT - DEAL OF THE DECADE

The Farmhouse Restaurant in Emmaus has always been one of my favorite area restaurants. Chef/Owner Michael Adams is a skilled cook, the selection of beers is unique in the region and is outstanding, and the ambiance is country inn peaceful and serene. But The Farmhouse has outdone itself this time.

Tuesday is moules/frites (mussels and fries) night. Anyone who has spent time near the Mediterranean, especially in the south of France, knows how plump and juicy the mussels are. I'm a steamed clam guy myself, but the mussels near the Med are completely satisfactory, even if completely different.

The French steam these black-shelled, wing-shaped bivalves and accompany them with an amazing array of sauces, everything from just plain broth to exotic bleu cheese concoctions. Moules/frites are sold in all sorts of restaurants, from sidewalk cafes to pizzerias to joints that only serve moules/frites but serve a veritable Heinz 57 varieties. A steaming pile of moules with a healthy serving of frites might set you back seven euros or so, about ten dollars, in France. Imagine my surprise when The Farmhouse's electronic newsletter announced that their Tuesday nigh moules/frites special came in at a paltry $7.00. SEVEN DOLLARS! Could this be real?

The moules/frites are served in the bar, a cozy little downstairs cave with a couple of small tables (white linens and candles), a short, no-frills bar, and NO TELEVISION. A bar with no television. Fancy that.

The meal began with crusty, house-made rolls and a dipping sauce followed almost immediately by the moules/frites. The Southern Woman That I Married chose the special of the day, moules with a lobster/saffron sauce. I had the traditional moules - American traditional - featuring apple-smoked bacon bits and balsamic vinegar. The servings were healthy, filling me up and a bit too much for TSWTIM. The frites were frites. Good frites, though. It was all just yummy yummy good. I'm telling you. Yummy yummy good.

SEVEN DOLLARS!

With a snifter of a chocolaty stout for TSWTIM and a tall, colorful, fruity, cask-drawn lager for me, and including the tip, $33.00.

THIRTY-THREE DOLLARS!

We'll go back every Tuesday night that we can make it. It's the foodie Deal of the Decade.
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