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Mon Ami Gabi...

   

    This charming restaurant occupies a unique place along the famous Las Vegas Strip.  Located in the Paris Hotel, the Mon Ami Gabi Steakhouse sits right alongside the sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard, and directly across the street from the Hotel Bellagio.  It features an outdoor eating area, which provides an incomparable opportunity for people watching, complete with fantastic views of the Bellagio’s water show, all while enjoying a first class meal.   In keeping with the French themed Paris Hotel, the locale provides ambience reminiscent of a Paris sidewalk café. It remains the only fine dining establishment in Las Vegas offering such people watching and water show views simultaneously.  While the alfresco dining patio has plenty of tables, sometimes the wait for this coveted space can become quite a challenge.  Mon Ami Gabi also offers an inviting indoor dining area, which on most nights requires no wait to obtain seating.  The indoor dining room features classic old world décor, with soft lighting, tiled floors, and ample room between tables for intimate dining.  The restaurant also has a well appointed, albeit small, bar where one can watch the Bellagio’s water show while waiting for a table.

        The patio cafe outside Mon Ami Gabi...



    The menu features a varied assortment of entrees, although, as a steakhouse, the menu emphasizes red meat.  The steak entrees feature the classic French sauces, such as Bearnaise, Roquefort, and Dijon, and run between $30.00-42.00 per entrée.  Quite reasonable when one compares it to other classic restaurants along the Strip.  All entrees come with some type of well-prepared side dish, such as a vegetable or French fries.  The menu also has decent selection of seafood and chicken dishes, all generally priced below the steak entrees.  They make a delicious French Onion soup as a side dish.


    The wine list seems relatively limited compared to other premier Strip restaurants.  Still, Mon Ami Gabi does feature enough nice wines to complement any of their entrees.  Good news for wine lovers; they permit carry in bottles with a corkage fee of $25.00 per bottle.  The normal corkage fee on the Strip at a fine restaurant these days is $35.00 per bottle. 


    Lastly, I found the staff at Mon Ami Gabi friendly and helpful.  The server I had on a recent dinner there had good knowledge about the bottles on their wine list and recommended a nice bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape which went quite well with the steaks we enjoyed that evening.  For a good meal on the Strip with the built- in entertainment factor of people watching and the Bellagio’s water show, the Mon Ami Gabi provides an excellent choice for dinner.


















Steak


    Simply put, if you love wine and good food, you need to dine at this restaurant.    Rarely does a restaurant located away from the Las Vegas Strip impress me as much as Steak from a wine perspective.   


    Located at 76 West Horizon Ridge in Henderson, Steak has one of the most impressive wine lists in the Valley.  It features over 1,000 bottles of wine, and prices the offerings fairly and in many cases at prices you could not find in a retail store.  The wine list emphasizes new world wines, but has a good selection of Italian and Australian wines as well. 


    Steak seems to focus mostly on Cabernet Sauvignons, with nearly 200 different bottles of Cab (or blends thereof) appearing on their wine list.  Some of the more esoteric Cabernets offered include Abreu, Colgin, Shaffer Hillside Select, and Behrens & Hitchcock.  Even most wine shops do not carry such wines.  The Cabernets run in price from $27.00 up to over $400.00 for some vintages of the Colgin.  You may select some excellent wines at or near their retail price.  For example, the 1999 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, which garnered number two wine of the year by Wine Spectator, appears on the list for $99.00, less than you would expect to purchase it for retail.  Other notable bottles include the 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia for $185.00 (Wine Spectator’s wine of the year), the 2002 Behrens & Hitchcock “Les Chats du Monde” for $106, a 2003 Paul Hobbs for $98.00, and several vintages of the Robert Mondavi Reserve for around $150.00 per bottle.   If you don’t believe these represent great values, check the prices for the same bottles the next time you visit any one of the Strip’s fine restaurants.


    They also feature an excellent selection of premium Zinfandels, Pinot Noirs, Syrahs and Merlots, and a nice selection of white wines.  The Zins include selections from Turley, Seghesio, Robert Biale, Rosenblum, Martinelli and Ridge, all vintners with many accolades from wine critics.  More good news for wine lovers; Steak charges only $20.00 as a corkage fee for carry-in bottles.


       Steak’s menu insures ample selections for the diner.  Naturally, with a name like Steak, the cuisine concentrates mostly on red meat.  Steak entrees run in price from $25.00 for a baseball cut top sirloin, up to $47.00 for a 24 ounce prime dry aged bone-in ribeye.  Most steaks fall in the $27.00-$35.00 range.  In addition to the steaks, one may order lamb, chicken or salmon.  The numerous side dishes all cost $6.00, and include (among other item s) sautéed mushrooms,
grilled asparagus, onion

    The mountain view from the dining room...


rings, scalloped or baked potatoes.  They also feature a large selection of appetizers, mostly seafood related that ranges between $6.00-$12.00.  Steak also features several salads and the freshly prepared soup of the day to complement the meal.


    I had the Greek salad, scalloped potatoes, sautéed mushrooms with the baseball cut top sirloin, and found the diner delicious.  All steaks come with a choice of several home made sauces, including pepper, béarnaise and cabernet reduction.


     Steak provides a casual-chic ambience for dining.  It has high ceilings, wooden floors and modern décor. The restaurant sits atop a small hill, and the dining room features extraordinary views of the Strip and mountains.  Steak separates its bar from the dining area by way of a half-wall, so the bar and dining crowds are kept somewhat separate.   The bar has two televisions and ample seating at small tables where the visitor may order from the full menu.  Right next to the bar area you will find a small wine shop, where you may purchase most of the wines listed on the menu at $10.00 less than the listed restaurant price.


     As further accommodation to wine lovers, the restaurant does not allow smoking.  It features a great happy hour, with reduced prices on many of its food items, and an open bar during certain hours on Monday and Wednesday evenings.  They hold a free wine tasting event every Saturday afternoon.   Steak also holds occasional wine dinners showcasing individual wines paired with gourmet cooking.  Check directly with the restaurant for details about any of these events at (702)567-8325, or go to their website at www.steaklasvegas.com. 


     Steak proves well with the visit to any wine loving enthusiast who needs a good meal with a great bottle of wine.