Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6221
january–february 2010 / the tasting panel / 39 treated to a more elaborate menu at Mon Ami Gabi, where the doors open at 7 a.m. "It took us two days to write the menu and two weeks to figure out how to make the best French toast," divulges Clancy Noailles, Sommelier and Assistant GM at the popular Paris Las Vegas venue. "The egg dip has nothing to do with it," he whis- pers. "It's the bread—specifically our brioche. Dip it in the egg batter, and then while still wet, sprinkle with powdered sugar to caramelize it." Noailles brings over a champagne cart to offer us a Bellini or Mimosa. We need something stronger. He directs us to the 15-foot-long Bloody Mary bar. A buffet of condi- ments paints a pungently spectacu- lar backdrop: bacon, freshly grated horseradish, beef sticks, stuffed olives and Anaheim chiles, along with celery and half a dozen styles of hot sauce. "The results are fantastic," Noailles says proudly. "We serve 500 people weekdays before 11 a.m. and 700 on weekends. We've also gained the reputation as the best breakfast in town. No one in Vegas draws those numbers in the early hours of the morning." There's not much that can make a New Yorker do a double take. Unless it's the Georges Duboeuf Love Bus, a faith- fully replicated version of the must- have hippie transport, which wound its way though Manhattan delivering the Georges Duboeuf 2009 Beaujolais Nouveau. The promotional event, held at a Meatpacking District bistro, heralded the uncorking of the wine, which is released the third Thursday in November each year. Duboeuf and U.S. importer W. J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd. used the event to launch a food drive to benefit hungry New Yorkers. Hippies, biker chefs and a tie-dyed ap- pearance by Franck Duboeuf, Georges' son, gave the event its boho glam, but the promise of a good vintage will give the wine some staying power this year. Abundant sunshine, little rain and healthy grapes gave the company its best vintage in 50 years, says the younger Duboeuf. "In 2005 we thought we were lucky to see such exceptional grapes," he said. "This year, the release is very seductive, with round, smooth ripeness. We'd have to go back to the 1940s to find such a spectacular year." It might be the only good news in a year that has wine lovers tightening their belts and lowering their bottle price points. SRP for the 2009 vintage is $9.99. —Lana Bortolot the Georges duboeuf "Sip in" bEaujoLaiS nouVEau KEEPS itS GrooVE Franck Duboeuf, Georges' son, brings in the '09 Beaujolais Nouveau in the Love Bus. Clancy Noailles, Sommelier at Mon Ami Gabi. The 15-foot-long Bloody Mary bar at Mon Ami Gabi.