A certain pedigree of Italian restaurant exists in the Northeast, particularly in New York City and Providence, that doesn't exist anywhere else. Half-breeds of what's best of Italian and American hospitality, these spots boast foods from the "old country" while catering to the American palate for big and bold. Tuxedoed waiters (always with accents) hover in spades, delivering the kind of service that makes everyone feel like a big-spending regular.
Il Mulino has been a Greenwich Village garrison of this kind of accommodation for nearly 30 years. Nestled into a corner on West Third Street, the restaurant was founded by two brothers, Fernando and Gino Masci, who came to New York in the 1970s and offered Manhattanites a taste of their homeland — the Abruzzi region of Italy.
The mix of the old world with New York's political and business elite (the restaurant is purportedly a favorite of Ed Koch, among others) became a formula for success juicier than a ripe San Marzano tomato. Today, Il Mulino has outposts in Long Island, N.Y.; Las Vegas; Chicago; Miami; Washington; Orlando; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Tokyo; and Atlantic City, N.J.
And now, Atlanta.
Fronting 191 Peachtree St. next to the Ritz-Carlton Downtown, Il Mulino Atlanta boasts the hard, dark woods, white tablecloths and isn't-it-cozy-like-the-old-country atmosphere of the mothership in New York. A brigade of tuxedoed waiters prances like elongated penguins through the dining room; there is at least one for every two diners. Huge wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano are carved tableside to start a meal here, brought with garlic bread and sautéed zucchini (all gratis), and the menu, as well as the wine list, is deep, long — and expensive.
All this pomp and circumstance creates an evening that's long on a kind of canned hospitality that taints the experience a bit. The motions seem a little too slick and over-rehearsed. While Il Mulino tries hard to come off as a one-of-a-kind experience, it's something like a traveling show that puts on a great performance but moves on to the next town without a morsel of regret.
Delving into the menu is as consuming as reading Tolstoy, and though your waiter will tell you of nightly specials, more often than not they are the same from evening to evening — the Dover sole meuniere with lemon, sage and capers; the langostino sautéed in white wine and garlic in a heavy tomato sauce with hints of saffron. And, of course, branzino baked in sea salt and filleted tableside.
The kitchen, helmed by executive chef Michele Mazza, delivers evenly — that sole is perfectly seared and sautéed, light and fluffy with piquant flavor from lemon and capers balanced with lots of butter. And the langostino boasts a rich sauce and large, still tender prawns.
Though the restaurant is noted for a menu that specializes in the regional cuisine of Abruzzi (Italy's "ankle," facing the Adriatic Sea), it encompasses a much broader prospective, with actually very few dishes from that region.
OK, so skip the part about Abruzzi and dive in anyway; most of the kitchen's creations are worthwhile, even when overwrought with sauce or presentation: beautifully sliced carpaccio with arugula would be so much better without a drizzled zig zag of creamy mustard sauce. Osso bucco is a best dish, tenderly roasted and dreamily resting in full-bodied red wine sauce (the bone is presented with marrow, for spreading on the ample amounts of bread brought to the table).
So many items boast "prepared tableside" on the menu, but the gueridons never move, so the theater of preparing Caesar salad or filleting fish can only be seen from certain vantage points in the dining room. Without ringside seats, there's little to the show.
As dessert draws near, the waiter may just assume you want a tasting of a little bit of everything — tiramisu; zabaglione with berries; the ubiquitous molten chocolate cake — and bring a tasting plate to the table whether you ask for it or not (assuming you'll happily pay for it). Grappa flavored with fruit — usually blueberries and raspberries — and presented in a copper pot will be brought as well (also gratis). None is really worth the effort.
Il Mulino offers a steady flow of hospitality and completely likable food. But its slick, corporate-backed attitude hardly creates a unique experience.
Overall rating:
Food:
Italian
Service:
Excellent, with lots of flourishes
Price range:
$$$$
Credit cards:
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Hours of operation:
Open for lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Open for dinner 4:30-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 4:30-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
Best dishes:
Veal osso bucco, Dover sole, langostino
Vegetarian selections:
Sauteed spinach with garlic, an array of pasta dishes, salads
Children:
For lunch or early evening
Parking:
Valet is $7, or in nearby garages
Reservations:
Yes
Wheelchair access:
Yes
Smoking:
No
Noise level:
Medium
Patio:
A lovely patio is open to a courtyard shared with the Ritz-Carlton
Takeout:
Yes
Address, telephone:
191 Peachtree St., Atlanta, 404-524-5777
Web site:
KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding:
Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.
Excellent:
One of the best in the Atlanta area.
Very good:
Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining.
Good:
A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.
Fair:
The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated
Poor
.
PRICING CODE:
$$$$$
means more than $75;
$$$$
means $75 and less;
$$$
means $50 and less;
$$
means $25 and less;
$
means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)
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