If you walked in the door of Il Mulino you wouldn’t know it was an Italian restaurant. The kind of warm, friendly atmosphere and greeting could be one of the tipoffs to its Mediterranean origin. But the décor? Looks like a transplant from a fashion designer’s restaurant, with its attractive, cool, white- on- white contemporary interior design punctuated with fashion posters. It works very well in South Beach. With all of the fusion cuisine, molecular gastronomy, and culinary preciousness around, it’s more than welcome to find a restaurant that continues to embrace the classics.And then there’s a great deal they frequently offer at lunch — 3 course fine dining for $25.
Il Mulino South Beach, like its 35-year-old successful New York relative, is about the classics. Here you’ll find a top notch Caesar salad with house made dressing, the fresh egg and capers mixed tableside and all the classic pastas we have all loved for years – from carbonara and spaghetti alle vongole to fettucine alfredo, ragu and a luscious tortellini alla panna with cream sauce, black truffle and sweet peas. A welcome find were the veal dishes that one seldom sees in menus anymore, like veal piccata, saltimbocca and veal parmigiana.
Seafood gets equal billing, especially shrimp scampi and clams served various ways. My favorite is the English dover sole deboned tableside. The sole is one of the dishes in a list of signature favorites from the New York restaurant (3rd street as there’s a new one, a steakhouse called Il Mulino Prime), along with ossobuco and double cut veal chop with sage, garlic and roasted potatoes (have to try that next time).And of course there’s the filetto di manzo alla fiorentina, Tuscany’s answer to our T-bone, though here served without the bone.
One of my favorite details about Il Mulino is all of the nibbles they give you before your meal, even at Miami Spice or at the not to be missed prix fixe luncheon specials they frequently offer (3 Courses for $25). We’re talking fried zucchini, bruschetta, garlic bread, parmigiano reggiano, mussels, salami
Desserts? You guessed it – tiramisu, panna cotta, homemade Italian cheesecake, berries with zabaglione and the flourless chocolate cake.
Appetizers range from $18.50 to $26.50, pastas are $29 and most entrees are in the $30’s and $40’s. Signature dishes are higher priced.
Wine starts at $14 a glass for a 5-ounce pour; bottles start at $60. There’s valet parking for $10 for lunch and $15 for dinner.
Karen’s Il Mulino Picks:
Caesar salad
Tortellini alla panna
English Dover sole (a splurge at $75)
Berries with zabaglione
Il Mulino 840 1ST STREET, Miami Beach (T. 305 372 1221),
One Response
Great review. Recently tried it. As you were, surprised and pleased by the modern decor. The fashion poster decor reminded me of our offices in the General Motors Building when I used to work at Estee Lauder in New York.
Food is outstanding, I think, and atmosphere is so friendly and personable, it’s like you are at a friend’s house for dinner in Italy.
Did you meet Tino? He whips up pasta to your special order on his little hot plate by the bar.