Pascal Berthoumieux was born and raised in Bordeaux, where he attended culinary school and dreamed of owning a bistro somewhere in France. But Berthoumieux met his American wife on the Champs-Élysées, and Bistro Bordeaux ended up in Evanston instead of Paris. His menu is loaded with all the classics, of course—soupe à la oignon, escargots, coq au vin. Berthoumieux, who relishes his role as host, created a boutique French bistro feel, in part with decades-old wine labels given to him by his grandfather along with these words: “Pascal, these are all the good times I had in my life.” Sounds like Berthoumieux takes after his grand-père. 618 Church St., Evanston; 847-424-1483.