When I entered the Il Mulino on Long Island, I was shocked by just how quiet it was. The upscale Italian chain is located right next to a major thoroughfare, and I went to dine at the height of rush hour. But inside, things were perfectly tranquil.
That alone should've foreshadowed the kind of fine-dining experience I was about to have. The chain has been operating its flagship Greenwich Village location in New York for 40 years, but it also has five other locations in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Although many restaurants struggled to regain their footing during the COVID-19 pandemic, fine-dining establishments in the US have seen a 2.7% revenue increase over the last five years. Il Mulino exemplifies that success as the brand has continued to expand to include casual and steak-house restaurants over the years.
I brought my father-in-law — a good home cook who's fiercely proud of his Italian heritage — with me to try the chain's $58 prix-fixe weeknight dinner for the first time.
Here's what it was like.