Il Mulino

Il Mulino Restaurant Review:

Abruzzi, Italy natives, brothers Gino Masci, who honed his skills in Belgium and London, and Fernando, who perfected his style in Switzerland and the Belgian Pavilion at the 1967 Montreal World Expo, reunited in New York. In 1981, they opened their first restaurant, Il Mulino New York, in Greenwich Village, which reminded them of their hometown. The palatial third phase of The Forum Shops at Caesars is a fine setting for their Las Vegas restaurant. The dimly lit dining room features a floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed wine rack displaying 220 mostly Italian labels from Piedmont and Tuscany. For starters, we like the rustichella, house-made flatbread topped with goat cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, basil and oregano. Among classic pasta choices are cannelloni al forno (large fresh pasta tubes filled with free-range rotisserie chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, pecorino, smoked mozzarella and organic spinach). Frequent specials are langoustines with white wine, garlic and spinach, and the saffron risotto. A winner among the veal preparations is the hearty and rich scaloppine ai carciofi e limone (thinly-pounded veal sautéed with sliced baby artichokes and lemon). Go for the beef tenderloin grilled rare and sliced, topped with balsamic vinegar and green peppercorn sauce. Zabaione with mixed berries is prepared tableside for two. The extensive list of specialty coffees, dessert wines, grappas, Cognacs, brandy, ports, cordials and single-malt scotches nicely complements the cuisine.