Il Mulino Question..............

[Littleman]

Is Il Mulino considered a great or one of the greatest Italian restaurants in NYC. I saw a post that said there were no great Italian restaurants in NYC. I think Il Mulino is outstanding. I have benn there dozens of times. Every meal was outstanding. Do we have to go to Italy to find a great Italian restaurant. Thanks.

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Il Mulino
86 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

[penthouse pup]

People on this board generally--though not completely--look down on this place--it is expensive, it is most emphatically not a "red sauce" place, it probably has declined in quality since the days it was independently owned...but: if you have an early reservation, you get the right things, you have a sugar daddy or deep pockets and you understand what the place is about, you'll have a great time and a very good meal....

[hcbk0702]

No, Il Mulino would not be considered one of the greatest Italian restaurants in NYC. Overpriced, undistinguished red-sauce Italian-American through and through, IMO. Most people would probably mention Alto, Babbo, and Marea as contenders for best in the city.

But for truly great Italian restaurants, yes, you probably would have to go to Italy.

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Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Il Mulino
86 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

[il Trifulau]

There are some "great Italian restaurants in NYC" and none of them are Il Mulino, though I agree it does have its own appeal.

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Il Mulino
86 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

[Littleman]

I guess Marea took over San Domenico's location on Central Park South. Did SD relocate to a place called SD26 on 26th St. Would SD have been a great NYC Italian restuarant in it's day. I went there several times. I thought it was good. But the best Italian food I ever had was in Venice.

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Marea
240 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

SD26
19 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010

[chow_gal]

What is it that you are looking for? Tell us the type of Italian restaurant you want and we can provide suggestions. Or did you just want to start a hypothetical ranking of past/present Italian in NYC?

[Littleman]

Chow Gal I was just seeking an opinion of Il Mulino. I like it myself. I saw a post that said there were no great Italian restuarants in NYC but I thought IM was great. I liked San Domenico. What's your favorite within reason. IM was very high IMO.

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Il Mulino
86 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012

[chow_gal]

IM is just not my style. It's a bit too, um, geared at suburban tastes. I love: 'inoteca for salumi. Esca for crudo. Otto for antipasti. Le Zie for basic pastas.

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Esca
402 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036

Le Zie
172 7th Ave, New York, NY 10011

'inoteca
323 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010

[Littleman]

We have bass and bream here from Mississippi River and snapper and tuna from Gulf Coast but we cook em.

You must be a Mario Batali fan. I had dinner with him at Del Posto with Emeril Lagasse not long ago. He had his shorts and tennis shoes on in December.

[Littleman]

Which Inoteca do you prefer.

[RGR]

Yes, SD26 is the former San Domenico. Totally different in terms of attitude (far more cordial than the icy treatment we received the one time we went to San Domenico) and ambiance (HUGE with very modern decor). The food we've had was quite good though not a contender for best Italian in NYC. We have not been back since Odette Fada left.

SD26 photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391@N03/sets/72157622310994057/

and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11863391...