By LEAH WEATHERSBY

Throughout history, Europeans have immigrated to North America to find new economic opportunities. As owner of Au Bouchon, a new Wallingford bistro that opened in December, one might assume that Frenchman Phillipe Bollache came to Seattle in 1987 for just that reason. Not so.

"In France, people don't move a lot," said Bollache, adding that when a young man does leave France as he did at the age of 20, it is usually for love. While Bollache's own youthful romance with a University of Washington student didn't last, the Seattle restaurant scene welcomed him with open arms. In fact, he went straight from the continent to Le Panier, a French bakery in the Pike Place Market, where he worked as a counter clerk. He went on to wait tables and other well-known Seattle restaurants such as Ray's Boathouse in Shilshole and the Painted Table, located downtown in the Alexis Hotel.

Bollache did end up starting a family in Seattle rather than moving back to his home town of Lyon where his father and uncle used to run their own bistro together. But, as the saying goes, you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. Bollache dreamed of opening his own bistro in the Emerald City.

In 1997, Bollache started towards that dream when he and fellow countryman Laurent Gabrel opened Figaro Bistro on Queen Anne. Later, the pair decided to branch out into Spanish cuisine with a tapas restaurant in the Wallingford Center known as La Bodega. However, not long after the second restaurant opened the two decided it was time to go their separate ways, each taking one of the businesses they had owned jointly. Bollache was still hoping to realize his vision of the perfect French bistro and felt that the La Bodega space, with its exposed brick walls and outdoor patio (a French-like setting, he said) would be the perfect spot.

"I wanted to convert this place to the French bistro I always wanted," Bollache said. "I don't want (Au Bouchon) to be stuffy. You can enjoy good food and still be a casual atmosphere."

So from his partnership with Gabrel, Bollache took two things: the Wallingford Center location and Chef Christian Potvin, who formerly worked in Figaro's kitchen.

That was July of last year. What followed was several months of intense planning for the new bistro, all while La Bodega stayed open. Then, in a flurry, it was gone. The Spanish eatery closed on Nov. 30 and Au Bouchon opened promptly the next day.

"It was a sad and a happy day at the same time," Bollache said. "I'm so proud of myself and my chef because we did this on the fly."

Bollache's pride in his new restaurant is clear as he talks about the menu and the planning that went into the project. A self-described "people person," Bollache said he doesn't hesitate to hug regular customers as they enter the bistro, or stop for a chat with those who might be eating at Au Bouchon alone. Even though his romance with a Seattle girl so many years ago didn't work out, it's clear that Bollache has finally found true love in our city after all.

Au Bouchon is located at 1815 N 45th St. in Wallingford.