A Little Piece of Paris

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I’m a huge fan of French cooking. I mean – fresh herbs, the butter, the cream, the wine – what’s not to like! So it was a natural that our first lunch spot on our world wind tour of Las Vegas was Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris resort and casino. There’s something about European bistros that bring out the romantic in all of us. And Mon Ami Gabi does an excellent job of capturing the look and feel of a Parisian cafe. The branding is spot on. From the bright and airy space, to the abundant greenery, fine linens and cutlery, to the vintage French art prints – the restaurant creates a wonderful dining environment.

And now to the important part – the food! The French casual menu features some outstanding breakfast items along with all the usual classics like steak frites and a variety of fruits de mer. With the more casual atmosphere, I was surprised to see that they also offered a pretty extensive wine list. Like their website states – It’s the closest thing to dining on the Champs Elyseé on this side of the Atlantic.

 

While tempted to order an old stand-by of mine – duck confit (served with fingerling potatoes, balsamic cherries and watercress), I decided to stay a little lighter knowing I would be heavily indulging on our Vegas visit. We started with a couple salads – the frisee and warm bacon salad with soft poached egg and croutons and the endive and Bosc pear salad with Maytag blue cheese, watercress and celery. I have to admit that I am extremely picky when it comes to my salads. No limp greens or vinegary dressings for this guy! The Mon Ami Gabi salads were fantastic!  Super fresh and crunchy greens with light but very flavourful dressings. We often make a pear, celery and blue cheese salad at home, and the caramelized pears in the Mon Ami Gabi salad really took things to another level. Delicious!

For our entrees, we went with the chicken, brie and apple crepe – and staying with the theme – the warm chicken and brie sandwich with apples and caramelized onions. Both dishes looked fantastic and tasted even better! There’s something about apples and soft and creamy brie that makes you feel that all is right in the world – a match made in heaven. I also have to make mention of the chicken fingers ordered by my daughter. It had to be one of the most stylish looking dishes from a children’s menu that we have ever seen. Complete with tasty green beans and crunchy apples – the plate was clean by the end of our meal.

Overall, we had an excellent meal and customer experience at Mon Ami Gabi. Its pretty cool to be able to step off the hustle and bustle of the Vegas strip and be transported to a Parisian cafe for a relaxing afternoon. Highly recommended. For now, back to the cage.