Confidently, the waiter issued a throwdown, “These will list high in your top five.” I raised an eyebrow at his aplomb – I had just made clear my deep appreciation for a good bowl of mussels. One more quick scan of the full Five Fifty-Five menu and I took the plunge.

My first visit to 555 was a mussel revelation

Now, it’s not that I expect more from the shellfish dish than most folks. Don’t we all want an ideal consistency and a creative, aromatic broth? It’s just that – too often – restaurants fail to hit the mussel mark. And, the ingredients in this recipe seemed – I don’t know – odd. Pickled cherry peppers, carmelized garlic and chive butter? On mussels? Wouldn’t that be overpowering?

No. It was marvelous.

Served in more of an oily, savory paste than a broth, the mussels were perfectly cooked, perfectly proportioned and outrageously unique. The tang of the pepper and garlic gave the dish just the right amount of heat without overwhelming it.

WAAAYYY different than the classically wonderful Fore Street version (a winning concoction of butter, garlic, almonds and vermouth), the mussels at Five Fifty-Five are now – as our waiter predicted – sitting on my top five list.

In fact, everything about our first dining experience at Five Fifty-Five is tops with me at the moment.

Adam loved the restaurant’s signature Lobster Mac and Cheese (who wouldn’t – hand rolled torchio pasta, shucks certified Maine lobster, artisanal cheese sauce, shaved black summer truffles – duh!) and my Sticky Pig was tender, moist – and very, very large. I snarfed so much of the buttery mound of collard greens, however, that most of the massive chop ended up in my eggs the next morning.

For dessert we couldn’t pass up the intriguingly title “trio of interesting house-churned ice creams.” Ice cream? Interesting? Bring it on. Marshmallow mint (a strangely charismatic combination), rosemary, and cayenne peanut. Yum all the way around.

Our waiter, Ezra, was attentive, knowledgeable and opinionated (just the way I like ‘em), and the entire service experience was top notch. Another server was bringing our entrees when he spied me heading to the loo.  I turned down his offer to hold off on the plate delivery, but was impressed none-the-less. The bar tab effortlessly transferred over and the numberless coat-check went off without a snag.

My first experience at Five Fifty-Five gets a first-rate high five from me.

Lacking the self-congratulatory air so prevalent in trained sommeliers, Bar Lola’s co-owner and wine expert, Stella Hernandez, never misses the mark — at least not to my palate. Often accused of wine snobbery, I’m a pretty tough customer.

A selection of French Chenin Blancs

Her husband’s food makes her job challenging. This welcoming East End eatery features an ever-changing five-course tasting menu and daily specials. No resting on your “favorite vintage” wine laurels here.

If I’m focused only on the wine, I’m a red drinker. Rattling off an opinion about which Pint Noir offers the smoothest finish comes second-nature to me. I rarely even glance at a white. When it comes to food, however, I gravitate – especially here by the sea – to fish and seafood. So figuring out what to pair with my mussels and fresh-caught sole caused me no little consternation. Stella took matters into her own hands.

Casco Bay Mussels with blistered tomato and fennel came with a crisp French Chenin Blanc that released the flavors of the aromatic broth and tamed the shellfish’s briny bite with mineral overtones. I nodded and smiled my approval.

In advance of the sole, Stella slipped me a glass of Napa Chardonnay. A sniff and swallow later, I shuffled a bit in my seat. Not my favorite. Anyone who knows me well has heard my rants about over-oaked Napa wines at some point or another. I held my judgment for the first bite of sole. With a mouthful of the fish I tried again. Perfection. The buttery sauce soothed the oak and brought out the wine’s fruit. The simple white fish, in response, popped with flavor.

Stella simply knows her stuff.