Spaghettini Bolognese

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
April 14, 2006

IL MULINO
86 W 3rd St
(Sullivan & Thompson Sts)
New York, NY 10012
212-673-3783

I don’t know what to say. Part of me wants to not think twice and just yell, “WTF!” While the other part of me is searching for explanations as to why Il Mulino is reputed as one of the top Italian restaurants in New York. While I had been warned that the service was the worst part of this institution, I actually found the service to be old-school professional and the most pleasant part of my evening. As I dined at the bar, the bartender was extremely attentive and witty — everything that I expect.

In this day and age, I find Il Mulino to be an anomaly in the New York culinary landscape. Don’t get me wrong, the restaurant definitely has its charm, and old world charm can be one of the most endearing qualities of a dining experience. But while the atmosphere and professionalism of the waiters were wonderful, it’s the food that caught me off guard. I can’t remember a greasier meal I’ve had. I am still baffled at how risotto can be made to taste as grease-drenched as french fries. Anything that could be deep-fried was deep-fried, from the complimentary deep-fried zucchini sticks you start off with while waiting at the bar, to the langoustine risotto. It’s as if the deep-frier won’t leave any prisoner behind.

I started with a vongole cassino for appetizer because I grew up on baked clam cassino and, to this day, still have the fondest memory of this dish. Il Mulino almost killed my childhood memory, which I barely rescued by telling myself that it’s just a different interpretation. I’m not sure what was cassino-like about the vongole I had tonight, and I find it lazy that the strips of bacon were simply placed on top of each clam instead of minced and incorporated as part of the cassino to be baked. But from the get-go, I should have noticed that the cuisine was not delicate.

The langoustine with risotto was a special that my sister and I shared as an appetizer. As I mentioned before: grease, grease and more grease. The langoustine was… surprise… deep-fried. There were mushrooms in the risotto. Now honestly, langoustine, mushrooms and risotto couldn’t be a better combination, but the flavors were so heavy and covered up by the deep-fried flavor that I couldn’t tell if any of it was good.

The spaghettini Bolognese we shared was also disappointing. I know this sounds extremely harsh, but the sauce tasted like the canned meat sauces that can be purchased at Japanese grocery stores, even though the meat at Il Mulino was fresh. The sense of taste is mostly about associations, and, for me, it just happens that I associated what I ate with Japanese canned meat sauce.

I was amused by the ongoings at the bar. At one point, a couple sat down and ordered drinks while waiting for seats in the dining room. The woman commented on the beautiful cherry blossoms that were part of the bar arrangement. The bartender politely replied in exchange that they were from Washington. “Washington Square Park?” the woman asked. I almost choked on my food when I heard this. The bartender was also a bit baffled by her question but politely responded, “No, Washington, D.C.” At least I got a bit of entertainment out of the evening.

Now everyone knows I love fatty foods, but there is a difference between food complemented by some richness and pure grease. I don’t find much merit in the latter. While I wasn’t impressed by the food at Il Mulino, I was definitely impressed by their prices. Or perhaps I should say that they were incredulous. The restaurant’s atmosphere is not casual, nor is it’s price tag, but the food is not refined.

Considering the number of outstanding Italian restaurants in the City, it’s a wonder that Il Mulino still packs them in as it does. I’m glad I tried it to know that I will not do so again.

Also in Greenwich Village, Italian, Pasta