Mon Ami Gabi, Bethesda, Maryland

Mon Ami Gabi

7239 Woodmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814

Directions

Phone:

301.654.1234

Fax:

301.654.4234

I have always liked this little chain with branches in Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, Reston, and Bethesda.  It is simple, competitively priced, and attractively decorated to look like a real bistro that you might find in Paris.  I first discovered Mon Ami Gabi years ago on a business trip to Las Vegas, where it is appropriately located in the absurdly presented hotel, Paris Las Vegas.  Its only real fault is that it isn’t consistent.

Last night we decided to grab a quick bite before going to see a film in Bethesda.  Since we arrived at about 5:30, we were able to get a table instantly without reservations.  I usually order the hangar steak, a cut that tends to be a little less tender but full of flavor ($17.95), and this was what we decided to do last night as we were in a hurry.

I did not have any wine, but Iran had a glass of Côtes du Rhône ($8.00) from the short list of French regional wines.

Mine was close to perfect — cooked very rare exactly the way I like it.  It came surrounded by a merlot butter sauce with fresh water cress on the side.  Iran’s, however, seemed to be much lower quality, and, by American standards, was probably closer to rare than the medium rare that she had ordered.  She also had an unfairly small portion of the sauce, which, on her plate, looked like grease rather than a proper sauce.  As always, the frites were just wonderful.

We had no starters or desserts although we usually come here for the full experience.

To conclude, you can get very good classic French bistro food here.  (Note that you will find classics rather than innovations.)   Watch out for inconsistency in quality and make sure you book early.  (Like most good restaurants, Mon Ami Gabi gets very crowded.)