Mon Ami Gabi

The wine list at Mon Ami Gabi reads like a French bistro paint-by-numbers kit: 80+ bottles, all-France focus, names you recognize from every other Francophile restaurant in town. Everything looks correct on paper, until you see the prices and realize you're paying a significant Lincoln Park location tax for wines you could find cheaper at any serious wine shop.

The list stays firmly within French comfort zones—Loire Valley whites, Burgundy reds, the usual Rhône suspects—without taking any risks or showcasing lesser-known regions. You'll find Sancerre, Côtes du Rhône, and basic Burgundy, but nothing that suggests someone is actively hunting for interesting bottles or building relationships with importers. It's the wine equivalent of ordering escargot because you think you should, not because you're excited about it. The 15-18 glass pours offer some flexibility, but they're drawn from the same predictable pool.

The by-the-glass program covers the bases with familiar French regions and crowd-pleasing varietals. You'll see options like Domaine Moreux Sancerre and Trimbach Pinot Blanc, which are solid choices if the markups were reasonable. With 15-18 glasses available, there's enough selection to avoid the house pour, but nothing here suggests they're rotating seasonally or hunting for interesting small producers.