Full
disclosure--I worked as a server at Big Louie's down the street and it
is one of the very few restaurants I worked in that I went back to eat
after I left--more about that later.
I have been coming to il Mulino once or twice a year since they opened in 1988. Coming from a movie and
having a groupon we decided to have a late lunch there. The room(s) are a
rich, deep brown with wine bottles being the main decor. I had the
Lasagna ($9.95) and Allen the Penne with meatballs ($9.75) and we were
served 4 garlic rolls, Coffee and Iced Tea ($2.25 each) plus tax and tip
the check came to $27.07 I had paid $10 for the groupon so the total
came to $17.07, basically $11 each, INCLUDING TIP, which is about average for lunch but
below average for a full service restaurant. At dinner these 2 items are
$12. 95 each.
I enjoyed the lasagna and Allen liked the penne and
meatballs. The service could have been a bit better--I had to ask for a
refill of coffee while Allen never got offered a refill of his drink. We
were given the garlic rolls, which weren't served warm and had a clump
of garlic in the middle of the plate, which were gone by the time we got
our main course, and it would have been nice if the server had offered
us one more roll each--if nothing else than to sop the sauce up. Having
been a server these are the little things I look for to tip more than
the standard 20% (before the coupon deduction.)
il Mulino was good
but all things being even (no coupon) I would choose to go to Big
Louie's--food is about the same and Big Louie's has more of a
neighborhood and intimate feel even though they tried to go a little
more high scale when they remodeled. Their prices are a bit higher at
lunch and a bit lower at dinner than the prices at il Mulino's  while
Big Louie's includes a salad at both servings.
In the past 6 months I
discovered another restaurant in the neighborhood called Cafe Vico which has become my first choice for the best Italian restaurant in Fort
Lauderdale.

******************************************************************