We go here for special events, graduations, etc. Â We also take all our out of town friends to Mon Ami.
Great french bistro, fun cuisine. Â The wines by the glass are a special treat. Â One of us likes reds, the other whites. Â
The only place we have every been in the US that offers Chateau neuf de Pape by the glass!
Okay so the hostess assumed that the customer made the mistake of having the wrong reservation time. Should have turned around at this point. Checked our VM and email confirmation- both were the right time.
The Point: horrendous service! We understood that it was valentines weekend, and we were prepared for a longer wait, Â but seriously our waiter was just standing there... Literally just standing there. We had to flag him down to order. Flag him down for drinks. Then flag him down for the check. He never came by the table proactively except for when he was dropping off the check.
Food was good, of course consistent with the other MAGs. I had the scallops, however, no carbs come with this dish, so tread carefully when it comes to your alcoholic consumption with only the scallops as a buffer.
This was one of those times when the service failure far outweighed the food! And I forgot my Lettuce card at home and no one even bothered to help me collect the points! Terrible experience and I have told several people about how much I do NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone. Â Time to deflag this specific location... Unworthy of Lettuce branding.
Mon Ami Gabi! Â Ma beau ami!
I've been here twice, and I loved it both times. Â Most recently, my Valentine took me here on Fevrier 14 to celebrate with a decadent, romantic dinner. Â We enjoyed baguettes (yes, plural... they're hot, fresh baguettes, don't judge) and a bottle of wine as we soaked up the perfect ambiance. Â
We ordered soups to start - french onion for me and lobster bisque for him. Â The french onion was great - hot, bubbly cheese topped a bread slice over a deep bowl of thick oniony soup. Â The bisque was also delicious.
My Valentine chose the special (beef wellington) and I went with the skate wing served with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. Â Everything was perfectly cooked and looked and tasted great. Â
Gabi is a pro. Â She knows how to deliver superior service, food and atmosphere. Â I'd definitely come back, and recommend for special dinners.
Came here for restaurant week and first things first---Make reservations! Sure this was restaurant week, but we came in on a practically blizzard night when roads were dangerous but that did not stop people from dining here on a Thursday night. I couldn't find parking anywhere, so the 12 dollars valet helped.
For 33 prixe fixe per person, we got a delicious amount worth of food. The onion soup as the waiter described it and I was sold. It was served on a tall crock with the perfect amount of melted cheese. I also ordered the Steak Roquefort for the entree. I love when steak is sliced thin and the bleu cheese made it interesting. It was cooked perfectly medium well as requested. I had the mashed potatoes instead of the frites and it was very satisfying.
All 3 trio desert samples were amazing. The mango sorbet, cream brûlée, and mango sorbet all had strong and rich flavors.
Overall the service was awesome. Our waiter was very attentive on a busy night. He picked up my coat and laid it on my chair. Our waters will always filled. He couldn't split the check for us, but was very helpful and told us he could help with the math and everything else. He was very polite and knew the menu well.
Crowd of all types. Mostly an older, sophisticated crowd but some people were on dates ordering bottles of wine. We had a good time out.
My fiance and I went here for my birthday two weeks ago. The drinks are strong and the food is pretty decent. In my opinion, it's your typical French restaurant with the fancy waiters and nice atmosphere. Not to mention, the prices are on the pricy side which really isn't surprising for a French Bistro.
My fiance liked his steak frites with the roquefort butter but we both agreed that nothing compares to the on by L'Entrecote of course. I ordered the dover sole and thought it was good. But I've had better.
Mon Ami Gabi is not too bad but not the best either like what others here have said. I'd still go back to this place but only if I were dying for steak frites. Ha!
We both had the house steak in different variations. Good but not the best steak I've ever had. I believe the house steak cut is also called 'flat iron steak' these days. They were cooked perfectly.
I love that you can sub any side if you don't like the one that is listed on the menu.
Also liked that when I was torn between two wine choices, the waiter brought samples of each.
For dessert, we went with Pineapple Pain Perdue. Really scrumptious.
My wife and I went here during Restaurant Week.  The atmosphere was nice, and the service was good.  We started off with the onion soup, which was very large and very good.  We were both stuck on getting the Steak Frite.  I got mine with the Roquefort sauce, which was very powerful, but still good.  I definitely wasn't in love with it and would go with a different sauce next time, but the steak was great -- very tender.  So, while I was happy with the steak, the fries were a disappointment.  They were so thin and crispy to the point where it was kind of just like eating larger versions of the left over crumbs you usually find when your fries are almost gone.  They also just got really soggy when mixed with the sauce.  The dessert trio, on the other hand, was superb.  We couldn't decide if we liked the chocolate mousse (with great crunchy chocolate balls on it) or the creme brûlée better, and the (mango I think) sorbet was a great palette cleanser.
Overall, we had a very good meal and would be happy to go back on a non-Restaurant Week night,
I am basing this review off the restaurant week menu.
One of the best things to look for after New Year's is Chicago's Restaurant Week. I came here with a party of 4 on a Saturday night and the place was packed. We were seated right away in a crowded booth really close to other tables around us. It didn't bother me too much because I kinda got use to this at other restaurants.
Now for restaurant week, you get to choose from a three course menu (appetizers, main course, and dessert).
I started with the Onion Soup Au Gratin, which is French Onion Soup. This was actually very good and I was actually going to get the Frisee, Kale & Warm Bacon Salad based on fellow Yelpers pictures, but I changed my mind when the table next to me order it and it smelled so yummy!
My main entree, I went with the Steak Frites, which is just a steak and fries. The steak was okay for the most part. I am not sure if it's the sauce (Bordelaise) I got mine with, but I like the fries more than the steak.
Finally, to wrap the night up, they serve you a dessert trio, which includes sherbet chocolate mousse, and creme brulee. The sherbet was amazing and the creme brulee was my second favorite of the three. I didn't like the chocolate mousse, but I am not really a fan of chocolate mousse.
Overall, I would definitely want to come back here in the future to try their regular menu. Another thing to keep in mind is that parking can be extremely hard to find in this area!
There is no better or more consistent restaurant in Chicago. The wait staff are true professionals -- let them recommend the perfect wine. The food is always perfect, from the warm olive jar, soups, frisee salad and short ribs or trout or steak with bearnaise sauce to the bread pudding or chocolate mousse. Beautiful atmosphere across from the zoo and outdoor seating in summer. This is living.
Review Source:Mon Ami Gabi is actually part of a chain of restaurants located in Las Vegas, Oak Brook, IL, Reston VA and Bethesda, MD.  And while you wouldn't necessarily correlate chain restaurants with great neighborhood spots, Mon Ami Gabi is the definitely an  exception.  The service was beyond fantastic (our waitress was constantly making recommendations that were fabulous!) and the food was so tasty.  I went with my two sisters and ordered the Steak Roquefort, Skate Wing and Salmon en Croute.  All of these entrees were amazing.  What also stood out, perhaps among all the dishes we ate were the Sea Scallop Gratinees that came served piping hot and full of cheese, a delicious fennel cream and a tender and perfectly cooked scallop!
For my full review, please read my blog post: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fyoungfoodies.com%2Frestaurant-reviewmon-ami-gabi%2F&s=58b69676d2ded8a207a2e3a80696115f2c974e627bb44585248dce8acea4b48a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://youngfoodies.com/…</a>
Excellent meal with nice surroundings.
My wife and I went to this restaurant after a recent visit downtown to see a show on LIncoln and celebrate her birthday. Â I made the reservation on Open Table and I was impressed with the ease and follow through of the system. Â It is a great method to make reservations and I recommend trying it if you have never used this before. Â
The restaurant was a short drive from Lincoln and had convenient drive up valet parking in front. Â It is located in an older style hotel from a past era of Chicago. Â We were able to hang our coats in a coat check and then proceeded to the restaurant on the other side of the hotel lobby. Â We were greeted warmly and taken to our seats and provided excellent service and a great meal.
I enjoyed the escargot and my wife had tantalizing scallops. Â For our main course I selected the trout almondine and she went with the veal. Â For dessert, they presented a chocolate tort with a candle and homemade carmel ice cream. Â I had mentioned in the Open Table reservation it was her birthday and she loves chocolate. Â The waitress mentioned she had heard she loved chocolate to her as she presented the tort.
We both agreed, this was an excellent restaurant and warranted another visit at a later time. Â The cost of the meal with gratuity was about $110.00 for two people and we both enjoyed a cocktail and an appetizer. Â
I would have provided 5 stars, however there were small breakdowns in the service with the wait staff not providing timely attention to refilling water glasses or replacing napkins that were obviously used and awaiting pick up when placed on the table after being soiled. Â In order to tally 5 stars, the little things need to be done and while this meal and the waitress were lovely, I can only provide a 4 star rating. Â However, I will return and hopefully the parties who read these reviews will find a way to shore up the matters that will take this to a 5 star restaurant experience.
Begrudging 4 star.
Great steak. Â Always love ordering a mid-rare and GETTING a mid-rare, especially difficult with the thin steaks. Â Au poivre--fantastic. Â Rich yet zippy way to go, highly recommended.
But can we talk about the fries? Â Or frites? Â I was looking at friend wontons, the snack you expect at a Pan-Asian restaurant, but really, it was a pile of potatoes, cut into weird flat strips and deep fried. Â Odd cousin of shoestring. Â There were too many to accompany my steak but I'd be lying if I didn't say I ate half.
The French Onion soup--sweet, not salty enough, but delicious and worth it. Â I love the baguette and weird slaw and butter that come out immediately--the baguette was warm, the butter was soft, and the mustard-y slaw was refreshing.
Here's my only beef: Â Awkward staff. Â We walked in, some old lady tried to jump the line in front of us, and the desk staff let her cut us off mid-sentence. Â We were told to sit down in the hotel lobby to wait for our table...when our table was ready the hostess came to us, hovered awkwardly while we gathered our stuff, suggested we use the coat check, and then pointedly asked if we'd settled up at the bar. Â Sorry, didn't realize your fancy restaurant couldn't transfer a bar tab to a table...and not like we were going to drink and dash...so just try to keep the disdain from your voice. Â Busboy asked if we were done, and then walked away, without taking plates. Â
We were seated in the too-close too-tight cafe style tables, we had a good meal, the server tried really hard and was entertaining and fairly attentive.
4 stars. Â Good, but not great.
this place is great! I highly recommend it. The food was obviously outstanding. I recommend the scallops for an appetizer. The location and atmosphere of the restaurant is great. It was very nice but also comfortable. What I loved most, though, was the outstanding service. The waiter was extremely friendly and genuine and really gave us a great experience. Definitely check this place out! Also, forgot to mention, they are very reasonably priced!
Review Source:This is more like a 3.75'er, borderline 3.5.
We had some high expectations for Mon Ami Gabi as for weeks now the husband has been calling the day-of for a reservation, always rejected. Â He then asks if we could walk in....always told no. Â I mean, don't get me wrong, it is a Lettuce place, so expectations weren't too high; high enough because we had trouble getting in and because the menu sounded nice. Â
Pros: Â Food. Â All the food was really good. Â We had the brie, very nice. Â Spilt a Caesar salad (I'm a bit baffled at how they charge $10 for it), tasty and generous with the cheese. Â My filet with the merlot sauce, under temp which was eh, forgivable but very tender and good. Â I wasn't much for the merlot sauce. Â His strip steak, good. Â My pinot blanc, very tasty. Â His bottle of wine, good he said but he felt he overpaid.
Plus and minus: Â Frites. Â Not what I expected at all. Â It's like they take the cottage fries from RJ Grunts and put them through a pasta machine set at fettucini. Â They were good, they tasted exactly like the cottage fries, just not what I was expecting. Â Profiteroles....good, though they pre-portion it and pop it back in the freezer. Â That doesn't do nice things to cream puffs.
Weird, not good, or bad: Â The service was strange. Â Our server stared at me all night. Â He was kind of on auto-pilot so anything out of the ordinary seemed to startle him. Â He was pleasant though and did a nice job otherwise. Â The food was coming too quickly so we asked him to slow it down. Â Slow it down he did, to the opposite end of the spectrum of ok, um, we didn't mean stop completely. Â We ended up having to ask for our entrees.
Further thumbs down: Â I understand they're trying to go with that French bistro theme and all but c'mon, do the tables really have to be that close together? Â In Lincoln Park of all places? Â We got stuck next to this freaky foursome of loud talkers. Â "Oh yeah, that was the best funeral I've ever been to!" and "Here's a photo of us at blah blah blah....And here we are at the bris!" Â Oh dear. Â Really? Â Thankfully the couple on the other side of us used their inside voices.
What was weird too was that there were several empty tables over the course of the evening. Â We had an 8 pm reservation and were there about 2 hours on a Saturday night....I guess we could have walked in so I thought it was strange that they were so adamant about no available tables day-of or for walk-ins. Â Weird too that the couple next to us was just a pair, sitting at a four top. Â I guess the seating policy is odd here.
Do note this place ain't cheap. Â Parking blows so just valet. Â All in all, the food warrants another visit some day. Â It's just too bad this place is in the middle of Lincoln Park and all its other-worldliness.
Overall, my experience here was good. Â It's a "chain" restaurant which living in Chicago I always prefer local spots. Â We started with the baked brie which was pretty delicious. Â I had mussels with frites and they were tasty. Â The table wine selection was good as well. Â The biggest drawback was the table seating. Â There are a number of tables cramped in this small space and we were a table of 2 that felt like we were on display in the middle of this small area. Â The staff kept bumping into us at no fault to them. Â Beyond that small issue, everything else was great.
Review Source:After searching the Internet to find a restaurant nearby my daughter's place I found Mon Ami Gabi. Â The restaurant is located inside a luxury apartment home building. Â Â The lobby was beautifully decorated with the Christmas tree and bright lights. Â Â
Soon after we were seated a loaf of French bread with butter and celery root slaw were served.  My daughter and husband ordered beer.  I ordered hot green tea and I liked it very much.  We started off with escargot, smoked salmon, and housemade pate as appetizer.  They were all tasty and delicious.   As main courses we ordered sea scallops and grilled salmon with spinach salad.  The sea scallops came with sautéed brussel sprouts and mashed cauliflower.  It was the best tasting brussel sprouts I've ever had.  We had to order an additional side dish of brussel sprouts. Â
For the dessert we had Mille feuille of berries. Â It was very light and delicious. Â The service was excellent. Â We will definitely go back.
I went here for restaurant week, the 4th restaurant week dinner over a 7 day period. I must admit, I had the lowest expectations for this meal, however it ended up being maybe my favorite restaurant week experience. I had the steak frites with Steak Bearnaise sauce, and it was beyond killer. I mean, somehow with my spoon I managed to clean my bowl of literally every last drop - it really looked like someone had rinsed the bowl off.
Review Source:I had a great 24th birthday dinner here two weekends ago. The steak au poivre was a slice of Paris in Lincoln Park. The wine my dad wound up selecting was the perfect complement to the food, and we all made sure we left room for the profiteroles. The decor was cozy, the conversation was invigorating, and the lobby of the Belden-Stratford was the perfect bookend to a perfect evening.
Review Source:I have to admit, I cheated.
I went to a French restaurant and ordered a Ribeye.
This after telling myself (when I picked the place) that I would try some 'traditional' french fare.
On the bright side, it was served with Béarnaise sauce and brussel spouts with bacon so technically it's french right?
We also had the oysters which were nice and fat not like the 'standard' oysters that you get in most places in Chicago and the mussels which had this sauce that I had to resist just picking up the bowl and drinking.
The waiter was very nice and attentive and his suggestion for a wine was awesome.
This is a great spot to take a date, it's nicely lit and friendly but intimate.
The fact that it was in a secluded residential type area also added to the ambiance.
I would definitely try this place again. Maybe next time I'll try to stick to something more traditional.
Atmosphere: Large, warm, intimate, fancy, warm lighting, soft booths.
Service: Our waiter was very knowledgeable and made a great recommendation but she wasn't attentive enough and we had to ask for refills and whatever else we needed. It was a busy night so it's understandable.
Food: They started us off with a load of bread you have to tear to eat and some soft butter. Was okay. Then they offered a scoop of carrot coleslaw which was just OK. I ordered the Steak Bordelaise which is a 10oz cut on thin steak marinated in red wine and drowned with sweet caramelized onions served with a large heaping helping of home made frites. DELICIOUS. The onions were a nice compliment with the potatoes so ketchup was unnecessary.The thin cut of the steak made it hard not to devour so take your time eating. It's a very filling meal. I also ordered the Pain Perdu which is a pineapple bread pudding in rum sauce. The waitress recommended a scoop of vanilla which I will also recommend to you. Yum.
Conclusion- I'd love to return however the meal was a bit pricey for my usual tastes. Will have to treat this place as an occasional treat for me. =)
4 stars.
Impeccable service, great ambiance, and excellent food with quality ingredients. Each table was served with French bread, soft butter, and a pickled carrot salad. Though they were freebies, they were delicious.
Although the pate was not the best, the duck confit more than made up for it. Be sure and get the latter if you come here.
I played it safe with my entree by ordering the Salmon with quinoa and it was quite good.
For dessert, I had the chocolate tart with homemade salted caramel ice cream. Though normal in size, we really should have split it between the 2 of us because the chocolate was so very rich. The crust of the tart was light and delicious (but it had walnut in it, so be careful).
Though expensive, the prices were good for the quality we got.
Cannot say enough great things about the amazing dinner experience we had here: Great location, great ambiance, very polite service and staff. The food was absolutely delicious starting from appetizers (the mussels, and the sea scallops) to the entrees (file and home made fries and the salmon and leak quinoa) to the desserts (creme brûlée and the banana crepes). The paired wines of choice was Beaujolais and it made for a perfect match for all of our courses. I would definitely come back to Mon Ami Gabi again, and I am looking forward to a dining experience on their beautiful outdoor patio!
Review Source:This restaurant is as good as it gets- outstanding service, beautiful atmosphere and wonderful food. The steak frites, the sol special, the scallop appetizer, traditional french salad, the seasonal fall salad and desserts (chocolate mousse and creme brulee) were just delicious. I would definitely recommend making a reservation, especially on weekends. We will be back soon, we're looking forward to becoming regulars.
Review Source:We were here 2 weeks ago.
This restaurant is in the Belden-Stratford Hotel.
We were seated immediately with a reservation.
Each table was given  a fresh loaf  of  just baked  French  bread and great butter.
Each table also got a carrot salad on the house.
We started with the mussels(mussels mariniere)--very juicy. We were soaking up the juice with the bread.
We had the Steak  Bordelaise and the Steak Bearnaise.
Both  came with the lightest pommes frites--so good and airy.
We finished with the cream puffs (profiteroles) and coconut sorbet (sorbet du jour).
The food was excellent.
I am taking a star away because I have to ask  our waiter twice for the dessert menu and three times to get the check.
I'm going to try and keep this one short and sweet: Mon Ami Gabi is a solid casual french spot in the Belden-Stratford Hotel. For food alone, I'd probably have rounded up to a 4. The service, however, was executed at a snail's (or should I say an escargot's) pace.
I love the scene and if you can snag a table outside in summer, you won't be disappointed.
J'adore Mon Ami Gabi!
The second I walked in, before I said a word, the hostess smiled and said, "Right this way, your gentleman is waiting." and lead me to the patio. The patio was exquisite; with trees, foliage, Christmas lights, and candles with French music playing.
We started with a loaf of warm French bread served with butter and a carrot purée which was good.
For beverage a bottle of Marquis De La Tour Brut. Which was neither too sweet or too dry.
Our hor d'oeuvre was the housemade country pate served with cornichons, whole grain mustard, and warm country bread toasted triangles. Very delicious. The pate was vaguely salami taste and complimented well by the mustard. The olives and pickles with it were nice.
He ordered the steak frites classique with maitre d'hôtel butter medium well. Which he liked.
I got the steak frites classique with maitre d'hôtel butter medium well with a side of the macaroni gratin too. The steak is large but thin and cooked accordingly. The macaroni gratin is similar to mac and cheese but creamier and baked and bubbly. Almost a casserole. I enjoyed them very much. I did not try my frittes but they looked enticing and are very thin crispy pieces in a big portion.
For dessert since it was a special evening and celebration our server brought ....
Strawberries braind with sour cream sorbet.
And
Butterscotch pot de creme with whipped cream
And
Profiteroles with pate a choux filled with vanilla ice cream, covered in homemade double chocolate fudge hot sauce and a lit candle for me.
We were stuffed but after sampling each made good work. We liked the pot de creme best but all were delicious.
It's a very stylish and cute place with amazing service. Perfect for a date night, catching up with friends and I ever noticed a person near us enjoying a meal and wine alone.
Mon Ami Gabi is indeed lovely.
I have eaten at this MAG as well as the one in Oakbrook and thoroughly enjoyed myself- and my meal- both times.
We came here in December before heading over to walk through the Zoolights at the LP Zoo. Â The place was packed (we weren't the only people who had this idea) so we were glad to have a reservation.
They have an excellent french onion soup here. Â The steak frites is a good option and is done well here. Â One person in our party had the scallops, I had the fish special, someone had the chicken- and everything was great. Â The food is spot on and we had great service. Â You really do feel a bit like you are in Paris in a cozy bistro.
This is why it is nice to have a history with a restaurant. Â We dined here last night. Â Our reservation was ready and we sat outside on a beautiful evening. Â The place was very busy and still was able to provide excellent service, timing the meal as not rush you. Â Our server was perfection.
Even when I was given the wrong steak, they immediately corrected it and were so nice about it....  The caesar salad was fresh and the  dressing the the perfect amount.  My filet was cooked to perfection and the merlot reduction is the main reason to order this dish.  I love the very authentic steak classique,which is delicious.  My only recommendation is to stay away from the hanger steak, it's quality is too much of a variable in otherwise a perfect meal.
This is still one of my places for that french feeling!!! I dine at mon ami gabi whenever possible...
I must say this place has tradition and consistency written all over it. This statement includes the type of decor, the style of food and the people that frequent Mon Ami.
What made this place so good was the food. I ordered the gazpacho and a summer salad. Â Both were fabulous, and believe it or not, were large enough portions to really fill me up. My friend ordered the blue cheese crusted steak dinner and loved every bite. We finished our meal with one of the better deserts I have had lately: bananas fosters crepes. So good we wish we had each ordered our own!
Only negative was that our server was quick to bring us drinks and get our order but was almost non-existent for the rest of the meal. Ordering a second round of drinks was a task.
Overall it was a good experience. Good food, older crowd, decent waiter and at a good price.
Too bad MAG isn't open until 5:30, otherwise Maurice and moi would pop-in here and there for a mid-afternoon nip! Yes we would! A St.-Germain (elderflower) Godmother for me and triple absinthe for himself. Take it from me, never - NEVER - hire a chauffeur who likes the sauce: oh, the stories I could tell. But he's family, so what option did I have? Besides, no one has died yet.
Listen. I KNOW I should try all the new restaurants Chicago has to offer but I always - ALWAYS - return to MAG. I could just wrap that Adam the Bartender up in a little Tiffany box and take him home with me. Just ask Bippy -- he'd like to do the same -- not that he'd ever forgo The Manhole to deign to dine with his dear sis -- the very one who saved him from Pamela Digby Churchill Harriman's advances That Time in The Pool at The Club. I jest. Adam isn't my type, but he's the best bartender This Town has ever seen.
I 'spose I return to MAG for the people wa...."Adam!!!! Please! Un autre Mere de Dieu s'il vous plait" ...tching: My Type of People, suburban escapees, literary types, new money riffraff, speaking of Blanche. Blanche. What kind of name is that? Isn't that something one's chef does to vegetables? Anyhoo, this hodgepodge of humanity here out on the patio, or at the cozy MAG bar, pleases me. As it does Maurice.
And the frisee salad -- with soft-as-a-baby's-butt poached eggs, lardons, and a perfectly puckish vinaigrette: D-I-V-I-N. Divine! &*
Hold on one sec while I order another Godmother... And just between us friend: the hand-cut friesz are Tio Die For!
So, in conklusion, Mo and I, we really like MaG and we think yuous hould try it sometiem when yu eiuo,.meruoikl,. buio#$%%
@patsychicago
Great French onion soup. Warm crispy bread. Fine wine. Love the location (in my hood). Â The interior is pretty. I got the hangar steak bc it was cheap and someone else was paying for me and several others. Would have preferred to try something else.
I had a good time and would recommend this place over bistro Margot. Less expensive and tastes the same.
I came here for Restaurant Week with my girl friends & everything was nomtastic.
The restaurant itself was kind of crowded, but I can see why it's so popular. Â It was really cute, albeit loud and the tables were quite close together (I wouldn't come here if you wanted a quiet romantic dinner).
As we were seated, we were given a loaf of warm bread, butter, and a small shredded carrot salad. Â Their wine list is also decent, and I had a lovely glass of Cote du Rhone.
The french onion soup was absolute perfection. Â It wasn't too salty, and there was the right ratio of bread to cheese to soup. Â The portion was also giant...I didn't finish it because I was already starting to get full and I was afraid I wouldn't have room in my stomach for my steak frites (that fear was completely warranted, as it turned out).
The steak frites...don't you love it when you order a steak medium rare at a restaurant and it actually comes out medium rare? Â You'd think that it would be easy to do, but you'd be surprised at the number of restaurants that fail to cook steak to your preferences. Â I digress. Â
Anyway, the slab of meat was GIANT. Â The heap of frites was GIANT. Â They say size doesn't matter but I sure did appreciate a big ol' plate of meat and potatoes in front of me. Â
I got my steak with the Bordelaise sauce (red wine and caramelized onions) and my only complaint was that the sauce was a little sweet for my liking, but this was completely my fault...caramelized onions are just naturally sweet. Â I think I'd try the peppercorn sauce next time. Â The fries were definitely different from what I expected...skinny and crispy. Â But I loved them! Â Unfortunately, there was absolutely no way I could finish all of my steak, let alone the fries.
Dessert was a trio of creme brulee, chocolate mousse, and grapefruit sorbet. Â The creme brulee and chocolate mousse were amazing. Â The grapefruit sorbet was a little bitter and jarring after you had the other two, but after a while, it was really refreshing.
I'd definitely come back to Mon Ami Gabi for their normal menu sometime!
Oh how I wish I could say OO LA LA...Tres Bien!! Â But, me o my how hard I try..
1.. made a 6:30 reservation..we were  placed in a dark, rear corner..asked to be moved, got a better seat in the main room. It seems 9 out of 10 times when I visit a restaurant I ask to please be moved to a better seat!  My money is real guys!!!
2.. Saw our waiter very briefly  three times..he was very anxious to take our order, we were not ready, once order taken we had to get attention of other waiters..staff..
3. Â The steak and pomme frittes were delicious, the escargot perfect and the profitolerros, scrumcious...but for some reason, we felt a bit rushed, a bit ignored..
BUTTTTT..this is a french bistro and this may just be the flavour the ambiance that Mon Ami Gabi wishes to exude...
4. We chilled in the Beldon Strattofd lobby while waiting for our carriage..so peaceful, so old time Chicago...
I like KiKi's Bistro as well..
Was on a visit from Buffalo, NY..we have nothing like this so why am I even complaining???
Whenever my family comes to visit we go here. It's one of the only things we can agree on. It's got a nice spot on the lake.
I had a birthday dinner here once awhile ago with six people. Somehow they botched the reservation and we ended up waiting an extra 45 minutes waiting for a table. It was fine, but the staff went overboard compensating for it. Free appetizers? Sure. ALL of them. I have now tried all three cheeses - the baked brie with honey drizzle and nuts is a favorite. Good salad. Really wonderful creamy and salty mushroom soup. They also have a very good choice of wines, which is impressive, because the bottles are not overpriced.
I always get the same entree here after years, and it is the steak au poivre medium rare. It is always the same: pounded-thin steak with brandy peppercorn sauce. Right amount of heat, super super tender, and sopped up with thin, flat, crispy airy potato curls that really aren't that frite-like.
That same botched reservation got us dessert too. The little profiterole with a candle in it always warms me a little bit. The mousse with crispy espresso balls is the single best thing this restaurant serves, and they brought it out special in addition to the rest of the free stuff because I mentioned that I loved it. It was a 2 hour recovery for all of us afterwards, but it was one of the best. I love coming here even when it isn't over the top like that, and I have several times since.
I agree with the reviewer who hates that there are kids here, but it's allowed because of who owns this place - Lettuce Entertain You is supposed to be 'family friendly,' which as a snotty and easily annoyed single person in Chicago, I sometimes resent. But LEY must be doing something right, because at all three of their restaurants I like (Osteria via Stato, Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, and here) seem to disguise the fact that they are part of this huge chain really well. Normally there is a lot of chain hostility. Including from me. But not here.
Mon Ami Gabi exceeded my expectations. Â The outside of the place is very pretty with lights and located in Lincoln Park. Â Parking is a little difficult, but we were able to get a spot pretty close by. Â
Anyway, dined here with a friend who had a little too much wine before we got there so we had to make it quick as our server seemed a bit angry with my friend's "condition" especially after he ordered an alcoholic beverage to start. Â :P Â
On to the food: Â We each had a salad entree and frites (fries). Â I was expecting the menu to be more pricey but it's actually on the cheaper side for a French restaurant. Â I definitely plan to come back (with someone sober) to try their warm brie cheese and escargot. Â
One negative is the tables are too close to one another so that when you get up to leave, you have to be careful not to bump into the other peoples' tables. Â Also, children makes Mon Ami less intimate because it's really a nice date place. Â However, Mon Ami Gabi is now one of my favorite LEYE restaurants. Â See you soon Mon Ami!
Mon Ami Gabi, it's good to know that not all French eateries are out to strip our wallets naked.
Mon Ami Gabi is a beautiful restaurant located within the historic Belden Stratford Hotel, making it the more classy. It overlooks Lincoln Park and can be a scenic walk in the winter with the Christmas lighting.
We arrived on a Friday evening late for a reservation but we were seated within minutes. Light is dimmed out and space is very tight. The server had to pull our table out just so I could ease my way through and be seated. (Mind you, I'm 5'2 and well below 110 pounds.)
Here's what we had:
1) escargots de bourgogne (snails)
2) chicken liver mousse
3) all-natural chicken breast paillard
4) roast chicken & frites
The chicken were just regular chicken entrees with nothing overwhelming. Instead, I found the appetizers to be more of a charm and breath-taking. The snails were soaked in a garlic-herb butter. It came in six bite-size pieces and I wish there were more. The chicken liver mousse resembled a 2"x6" piece of spam. Don't be fooled! The taste was subtle yet irresistible when paired with the burgundy red wine mustard. Had I knew the chicken entree was so bland and simple, I would've easily given it up for another order of chicken liver mousse.
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