What we know as Italian cuisine may be dedicated to revealing produce at its best, but co-owners Aniello Covone and Tony de Rose go after nature with blowtorches and microtomes and dynamite, determined to bend the old lady to their will.

A sliver of tomato may be less a sliver of a vegetable than a wisp in a spaghetti sauce, a salted crunch of thyme traces the shape of a curl of pan-seared tuna. An antipasti del Mulino and Tuna Carpaccio are must-try plates. Also on tap: Risotto ai Porcini, Osso Buco con Risotto and Roasted Baby Goat.

Book a table for a self-contained dining experience; located in the heart of Little Italy, Il Mulino is small, cute and yet, has a capacity of about 60. Follow Boul St-Laurent north, turn right on St-Zotique, Ristorante Il Mulino is located right on the corner of rue Alma.

Bring a big appetite and a credit card and let this restaurant have its way with you. - A.J.