rev:text
| - There are a handful of stalwarts on the Strip, a constant stream of new offerings, and several mediocrities that survive by inertia. Few moderate venues put in the effort to maintain themselves. Mon Ami Gabi is different. After about ten years in the same location, the room looks as new (or new-old) as the day it opened. Really! The tile floors are spotless! The paint is fresh. The waitstaff are far from complacent. And the food is delivered hot and correct, starting with the complimentary warm baguette and carrot relish.
Modeled after an idealized Parisian bistro--but thankfully not overburdened by the cliché Lautrec prints--MAG is deceptively big (nearly 400 seats) but divided into several different sections--depending on your mood, you can sit in a dark, book-lined bar room, a warmly lit interior, a comfortable but energetic pavilion, or a boisterous Strip-side patio. The menu follows traditional French brasserie food, but goes the extra mile in terms of variety. Thus the menu includes a vegetarian sampler, fish choices including Skate, a good looking short rib, and over 10 different steak frites varieties. My Steak Bordelaise was, well, perfect. Their ribbon-style fries didn't impress though--true French frites, in my experience, are actually very close to McDonald's, believe it or not. The chicken liver pate was a healthy portion. Prices are not shockingly low, but for the Strip, strike a relative value. There's no reason you can't have that romantic dinner here for 100 dollars, instead of spending 300 somewhere else. Consistency is a quality to be praised in any restaurant--in one wth a prime Strip position that could easily coast on its vantage point, it's almost a wonder.
|