Here's my fav local food (NZ) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-lipped_mussel Cheap as chips (as we say), you can get enough to feed many people, for just a couple of bucks. You buy them, live, in any grocery store. Put them in a big pot with a little water (or maybe some white wine and a bit of garlic if you're feeling fancy). Steam them until they open, pull off any stray 'hair' (they are a little bit erotic-looking ;-), and eat 'em up. Only one internal attachment, so they're easy to eat. Very common first course for any BBQ.
The beard is inside the shell sometimes, at least partially.
This link shows the "beard" (sorry for the long link) :
those are really beautiful. I love to eat/prepare mussels, that's why I asked about the beard. I always de-beard prior to cooking and it's a bit of a pain because you really have to tear at them and I feel bad knowing they're still alive. I usually prepare them with some white wine and garlic too. Delicious!!