When I entered the Il Mulino on Long Island ... 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 ...

So the competition isn't tough. Il Mulino pounds it silly anyway, shredding this flimsy bench into saucy confetti. It does this with large portions and bold flavors from Italy's Abruzzi region.

The two South Jersey restaurants that made the list: the Franklinville Inn, a historic institution which closed briefly because of recently suffered fire damage, and Il Mulino New York ...