About

"The evolving Francophile..."

My husband Jack has always wanted to live in Paris and learn French. I thought it would be good for him to achieve his life time dream. Hence, we moved to Paris in 2008. My first year was difficult. I started "missives" to relieve some stress and chronicle my life so friends back in the US could read what I am experiencing. I currently write about my food in Paris, which is my passion., travel experiences, and "experiences living in Paris."

It is definitely a challenge to live here, but each year it gets easier, and quite enjoyable, in large part because I value friendships over locale. I have a love/hate relationship with Paris as do most Parisians, mais La vie est belle (but life is good)!

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Baca'v Boulogne par Emile Cotte -- Restaurant Review

 

(For info: address, menu, reservations, see website https://www.bacav.fr/)

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor € = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; €€€€ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on minimum 2-courses)

1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-80); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-90); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (90+)


4.5 - stars .........................€€...................................... 3-🔔 


A close friend had recently dined at this restaurant and highly recommended it, so we decided to give it a try. While it's technically located in Boulogne-Billancourt, a suburb of Paris, it's so easily accessible by metro or bus that it feels like part of the city.



As you walk in, you quickly realize it’s not your typical French bistro or café. The space feels relatively modern, lacking that classic French charm, but the tables are still tightly packed. That said, the restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate a large number of guests. We were seated at a nice table in the back, meant for 8 to 10 people—plenty of room for our group of six.



The restaurant offered a well-priced prix-fixe menu, and we all chose the €45 option, which included an entrée, main course, and dessert.










NOTE: 

--I'm only going to review the dishes I had.

--Not all of us spoke French, so they do have english menus and all the wait-staff spoke english.





Potato salad, sea snails, aioli sauce.

What a great start to the meal—colorful, well-balanced, and bursting with freshness thanks to the generous use of herbs. Sea snails aren’t for everyone, as they can be a bit chewy, but I happen to enjoy them. Just don’t confuse them with escargot—they're completely different. Sea snails come from the ocean and have a firmer texture, while escargot are land snails and tend to be more tender.

The potatoes were simply boiled, with small dollops of aioli on the side to add as you like. Despite the heartiness of the potatoes, the greens kept the dish feeling light and fresh. A beautifully composed and satisfying starter.



King prawns plancha style, provencal vegetables with basil. 

Three generous, plump prawns were perched atop a warm vegetable medley that resembled a ratatouille—though curiously missing its signature ingredient, eggplant. Still, the dish was beautifully presented and full of color and life. The prawns were expertly cooked: tender, sweet, and just barely opaque in the center, with a delicate snap to the bite. That said, I couldn’t help wishing they’d been served it with the head-on, that’s where the richest flavor lives, but perhaps that’s the Asian palate speaking.

The herb sauce—bright, verdant, and slightly tangy—tied everything together with a lovely lift. The vegetables were well-seasoned and deeply savory, though after the first course with potatoes I just had, the overall effect began to feel a bit heavy. I ended up leaving a few bites behind.

Still, it was another thoughtfully composed and technically well-executed dish that showed a clear respect for ingredients and balance.



Cheese plate for dessert 

As I always say, you can’t go wrong with cheese in France. I’m not sure what possessed me to order the cheese course—I was already beyond full at that point—but I couldn’t resist. I made sure to sample each one, and they were all excellent. The selection offered a nice variety of flavors and textures, from creamy to firm, mild to pungent. A small serving of jellied sweet ginger accompanied the plate, adding a delicate, unexpected touch that paired beautifully with the cheeses.


Arretxea Haitza rouge


"One of France’s great vins de garde, Haitza is opaque, dense, deep, and noble. Wild black fruits on the nose, along with pepper, spice, and a kiss of oak. A full-throttle Tannat (with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon) to be treated like a great Bordeaux growth." 
Anthony Lynch

NOTE: This is an Irouleguy from the Basque region of France/Spain.











SUMMARY 

Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent, and the service was very good—though there were a few minor lapses, like missing utensils at times. Still, everyone at the table raved about the meal. The chef’s commitment to sourcing the freshest ingredients—especially the vegetables and herbs—was evident in every dish. If I have one complaint, it did get a bit noisy now and then.

Would we go back? Absolutely. While it might be a bit of a trek for some, I’d say it’s well worth the journey.

For six prix-fixe lunches (entrée, main, and dessert) at €45 each, plus a bottle of Arretxea Haitza rouge at €70 and a spritz at €15, our total came to €355—just over €59 per person. Not a bad deal at all, even with the relatively pricey bottle of wine.

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