Them ayesters are great, but I'd really rather have a 5 gallon bucket of mussels picked fresh off the rocks in NorCal. Complete with limpets and barnacles attached.
I hear you, paisano. One of my most memorable meals in this life was a paper bag full of steaming, freshly picked periwinkles from the seaside off Scotland's east coast in summer. Sewing needle or pin required.
Similarly, mussels get a bad rap for whatever reason but IMO are dynamite when properly prepared . A few pounds fresh picked off a jetty, steamed in beer or white wine with garlic, chives and maybe some fresh dill and lemon juice tossed in? Crusty Italian bread slices for sopping up the juices? Fuhgettaboutit, kid. Rich, nutty, meaty, with plenty of citrus? Straight up fit for kings.
