I never go downtown. It’s not a philosophical objection, I just never venture that way. I’m also ashamed to say that I haven’t participated yet in any of the Restaurant Weeks that have taken place around the fair city. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t get around that much.
I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview at next week’s prix fixe menu at the restaurant of my choosing and since I tend to focus on fine dining, I chose Il Mulino. I’ve always been curious since it’s one of those restaurants, like Morton’s or the Capital Grille that attempts to straddle the realm of fine dining and the business of replication. Il Mulino is, for lack of a better word, a chain.
The final reason that made me curious about this particular locale was price-point. Il Mulino is decidedly not an inexpensive dining venue and somehow managing to squeeze a three-course dinner for $35 was going to take either accounting acrobatics of Enron proportions, or cleverness beyond my imagination.
Their offering can be found here: Il Mulino Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week Menu 2010
Il Mulino is old school Italian-American. Walking through the doors invokes imagery that blends movie-like Little Italy with a side of some good, old-fashioned Joe Pesci ham. The staff, though I have to say knew exactly why I was there, was extraordinarily friendly and attentive. The food started piling on, some fried zucchini, bruschetta, mussels, a taste of cheese, a little salumi, and some bread. We ordered the rigatoni bolognese, the basil pappardelle, the saltimbocca and their salmon offering. Our affable server kindly gave us a taste of all three available desserts.
I told you, old school.
I don’t know if the food was representative of what Il Mulino is all about. The $35 limit places some heavy restrictions on their regular menu, which is expansive and priced at a different level altogether.
So I will have to reserve judgement on their food for the time being. I have far more questions than conclusions at this point. But it’s too intriguing not to explore a full review. Stay tuned.
The classic FA menu shot.
Bruschetta, mussels
The way to my heart involves bread.
Fried zucchini
Garlic, parmesan bread
Rigatoni bolognese: braised veal and beef
Pappardelle, tomato, basil
Saltimbocca, sage, prosciutto, spinach
Sautéed salmon, wild mushrooms
Trio of desserts: tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate cake. We need to work on plating.