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| - So, what is it about Vegas that makes it so alluring? Was it the simple promise of breaking out of your zone of comfort? (Hookers, booze, smoking in public places, ostentatious ridiculous and gilded shadiness). Was it the accessible levels of exoticism promised by the casinos? When I walked into New York New York my first reaction was to do a double-take on the statue of liberty replica, and then laugh at the hot mess they created with the interior - not even remotely close to my hometown. Hell, the MGM Grand is more Gotham than this. When I saw Paris (the casino) my first impression was "sacred bleu, what silliness is this? They recreated the Pont Alexandre III but with red lamps?! And the restrooms were free?!
But yet, when I pass through the doors of Mon Ami Gabi, sat down and grabbed a menu - I did an involuntary double-take. Gee, the prices are not hustle-me-dry ridiculous (especially when compared to a certain mediocre Korean all-you-can-eat barbecue nearby that is anything BUT all-you-can-eat), and the ambiance isn't too bad, either. Now, Mon Ami gabi isn't some truly French thing - it's run by a company called Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (why would you name your business after culinary packing foam?) based in Chicago land with outposts in the Beltway bandit country of Maryland and Virginia. The same company also run the Chicago and Vegas outposts of Joe's Stone Crabs. That being said, they do hire French chefs and seem to honor brasserie cooking.
Now, in terms of pricing, a steak frites goes for about $29 (as of April 2018), a large Moules Marinere for about the same, a frisee salad with a poached egg that's good to share amongst 2 people will set you back about 14 - that's about how much I would pay at L'Express back in NYC. When you walk in the waiters settle you down with a baguette and some butter, a complimentary amuse-bouche of grated carrot salad, and a glass of iced water. The baguette is quite on-point, that is, crisp crust on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, with the correct "tack" that made me and the missus put away at least two with their butter. The frisee salad was dressed with lardons (that is, bacon bits) and fresh croutons on a light vinaigrette that is a tad bit smoky. The mussels (moules) were steamed in a white wine broth with some julienned onions, bay leaves and sage. The steak frites however were a little disappointing on mine, slightly too rough (and honestly, I ordered it with bearnaise sauce, which was too sour for my liking - should have gone for au poivre or with butter) but it was okay. The frites were long slivers of potatoes, fried up crisp. It was decent, but lacking the mealy contrast of a soft interior that I wanted from good frites. Overall the meal worked well and the pricing was excellent from a strip perspective. Honestly, out of all the meals I had in Vegas, it's one of the better ones for the buck.
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