Mon Ami Gabi
3655 Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Yelp

I had heard Mon Ami Gabi at The Paris Hotel was pretty good, but I never believed it, until now.  We came here for brunch.  We were not fortunate enough to have one of the coveted tables on the patio overlooking the Bellagio Fountains.  The patio was definitely looking packed.  No matter, at least we didn’t have to wait for a table since we made reservations.

Steak Frites merlot butter, red wine sauce
I was highly doubtful this would live up to the hype.  The Annoyer had been going on and on about it.  Steak and fries sounds about as interesting as my left foot.  Often times, the steak is too dry and the fries are just uninspired fried potatoes.  I could not have been more wrong.  The steak was very thin and very tender.  The sauce was really the shining star.  Who knew you could get so much flavor out of wine and butter?  I wish they bottled and sold that sauce.  I would buy it in a heartbeat.  YUMS!

Mussels Marinière white wine, herbs
The menu is so large and really covers all the bases as far as anything lunch and anything French is concerned.  I was tempted to go with the croque monsieur but didn’t see any pictures on Yelp, so I went with the mussels instead.  Mussels are a reliable favorite.  They came swimming in a creamy white wine broth.  The crusty baguette was the perfect accompaniment to soak it all up.

Frites
I’ll be honest.  The best french fries are usually the McDonald’s kind that are highly processed and coated in some delicious concoction of preservatives and “natural flavors.”  The fries were the best fresh and unprocessed french fries I’ve had in a long time.  They looked scraggly and about as delicious as In ‘N Out’s sad fries, but these were crispy and tasty.

French Toast blueberries, warm blueberry syrup, whipped cream
I am also wary of french toast since most usually disappoint me, but these were far from the eggy dry and bland toast I’ve had in the past.  The toasts were very moist and almost bread pudding like in consistency.  Also not too eggy.  The blueberry infused syrup was a nice play on normal maple syrup.

Mon Ami Gabi was a pleasant surprise for being pretty typical French bistro fare.  I’ve eaten so much of this in my life that it’s hard to be wowed.  I am happy to say it did not disappoint.  I suppose I’ve had just as good mussels marinière at other places.  However, the steak frites and french toast were some notable stand outs.  I would certainly return to enjoy these dishes again.

10 – You NEED to eat here
9 – Awesome
8 – Very good
7 – Good
6 – OK
5 – Average
4 – Not bad
3 – Not good
2 – Terrible
1 – Do NOT eat here