What's up with mussles?

[Mike P]

I can't speak for every town, but most everywhere, mussels are there for the taking--no shellfish permit necessary.

Ones you pick yourself will almost always be fresher and better tasting than what you get from a store--as would be the case with any shellfish.

I've only eaten smooth shelled mussels--the ones with ribbed shells are rumored to be not as good to eat