Bouchon means cork in French. I learned that in Montreal thanks to my master teacher. Thanks to my retention skills, I was able to teach the fella my new vocab word.

This place was charming with a capital C. I just loved the atmosphere! Nestled in a cute little nook in downtown Asheville, it was tiny enough to provide tons of intimacy yet somehow still roomy enough that other people weren’t breathing on you. The lighting was romantic and warm, the bar was spacious enough to grab a drink while you wait, the employees were super friendly, and there was even an outdoor bar patio that opened up to the bar inside via windows. It was pretty cozy.

The wine list is SUPERB. It’s easy to judge a restaurant by their bar, and Bouchon did not disappoint. You know when the chef/sommelier put heavy thought into what they offer that you are in a good place.

I started off with a Kir Royal, Raul an Oktoberfest, and we hunkered down at the bar while waiting for our table.

Appys:

bleu cheese artichoke

pate

The restaurant focuses on French comfort food. For our entrees, I got the Trout Almondine while Raul opted for the lamb stuffed cabbage with tomatoes.

Dee-vine.

This was Saturday night. When our waitress informed us that they have all you can eat mussel night on Mondays and Tuesdays for $14/person, we already knew our dinner plans were set for Monday.

5 stars!