If you’ve noticed a rising tide of steak frites, Coquilles Saint-Jacques, beurre blanc and people pronouncing “cassoulet” with alarming accuracy, it’s not by accident — Sonoma County is having a French moment.
Like tasty forest mushrooms, restaurants and bakeries à la française are popping up everywhere, embracing the zest for good food, good wine and good butter that defines Gallic cuisine.
French techniques and a flair for local ingredients have always been at the heart of Wine Country’s unique style of cooking, but classic white-tablecloth French restaurants have been few and far between in these parts since the 1980s.
Now, a new generation of Francophiles are adopting the time-honored flavors of the birthplace of modern cuisine, along with a wave of French newcomers bringing recipes and traditions from their homeland.
Bon appétit, mes amis.
The newcomers:
Bistro Lagniappe
When chef Jacob Harth first captured local attention last September with a pop-up preview of Winnie’s, a restaurant centered around responsibly sourced West Coast seafood, I took note. Anyone who can make gooseneck barnacles appetizing (they resemble turtle toes) is a kitchen wizard.
While Winnie’s is still in development, Harth’s new Healdsburg bistro is a stunning debut. He describes the menu as California countryside cooking inspired by French rural routiers (roadside restaurants) and bistros, using the best ingredients Sonoma County has to offer.
The concise menu belies the awe-inspiring dishes. I nearly skipped the “Plate of Summer Vegetables,” which sounded like a ho-hum plate of crudités. But when it arrived, we gasped at the rainbow of colors, textures and preparations — raw, roasted and pickled — on the plate.
A large wood-fired oven, which can reach temperatures of 1,200 degrees, has its own section on the menu, featuring roasted oysters with smoked garlic butter and comforting cassoulet with duck confit. Sweet, caramelized onions and Comté cheese with a Parmesan foam is one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten.
Perfectly cooked trout, a roasted chicken with morels and a crisp mille-feuille with passion fruit round out the meal.
I can’t wait to see what’s next.
330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-473-8181, lagniappehealdsburg.com
Poppy
This Glen Ellen restaurant has the soul of France with the heart of Sonoma County. The newest branch on The Girl & The Fig’s family tree, it’s the culmination of founders Sondra Bernstein and John Toulze’s 25 years of travels through rural France.
A handful of dishes already define it as a restaurant to watch — a perfect summer salad, a crave-worthy roast chicken and a standout bread service. Don’t miss the Choux au Craquelin ($10), a baseball-sized puff pastry filled nearly to bursting with velvety espresso mousse. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, three-course family-style dinners are $65, with wine included. 13690 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-938-2130, poppyglenellen.com
Bijou
Petaluma’s Bijou — a more casual cousin to Table Culture Provisions’ fine dining experience — is the latest from acclaimed chef Stéphane Saint Louis. From its prime downtown location to its constantly evolving menu, the restaurant reflects his personal vision. As a young chef working across the street at The Shuckery, Saint Louis often eyed the expansive modern space, imagining that it would one day be his.
Ever-changing dishes reflect Saint Louis’ creativity and changing seasons, making it worth repeated visits. Some staples, however, will remain on the menu — a fish entrée, steak frites, housemade pasta and several starters. Reservations are available on OpenTable and are highly recommended.
190 Kentucky St., Petaluma
New wave, old school:
Augie’s French
Paying homage to Auguste Escoffier, the father of modern French cuisine, restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark’s classic French bistro serves classic-yet-approachable fare, including dishes like steak frites, mussels, escargots, Salade Lyonnaise and steak tartare. Chef Quincey Sanders, formerly of Portland’s Le Pigeon, heads the kitchen, and the tender, homey beef cheek bourguignon could make a grown man cry. Open daily.
535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-531-4400, augiesfrench.com
Brigitte Bistro
Chef/owner Nick Ronan’s bistro-style cooking is the real deal. Raised between Paris and the south of France, he has created a menu that is a reflection of the food he loves best — beef bourguignon, duck confit, cheese souffle, onion soup gratinée, tableside beef tartare and the requisite steak frites (desserts are also stunning).
But it’s Ronan’s warm, bear-hug style approach to welcoming guests like family, encouraging evening sing-alongs at the dining room’s baby grand piano, that really defines his restaurant. For Ronan, Brigitte Bistro isn’t a quest for Michelin stars; it’s a neighborhood gathering spot for a meal in the French tradition — feeding family and friends with love and passion.
841 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-981-8381, brigittebistropetaluma.com
Le Diner
This daytime boulangerie and gourmet sandwich shop magically transforms into Sonoma County’s tip-topiest French café Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Limited seating offers an intimate six-course dining experience from chef Sean McGaughery, who MacGyvers the tiny kitchen into a Michelin-noted force of nature. The menu features seasonal, locally sourced dishes like duck a l’orange, Wagyu steak tartare and petite escargot served in a Limoges tea cup. Requires a prepaid reservation, so plan ahead.
381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-756-3972, troubadourhbg.com
The classics:
Walter Hansel Bistro
When’s the last time you had Chicken Cordon Bleu? The chicken breast stuffed with Prosciutto and molten Gruyere disappeared with mall bangs and mixtapes, but it’s back at this rural bistro, along with French staples like steak frites, escargot and duck confit.
3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa, 707- 546-6462, walterhanselbistro.com
La Gare
A longtime locals’ favorite (45 years and counting) for Old World French cuisine, La Gare offers well-established white-tablecloth standards, including coq au vin, Chateaubriand, frog legs and garlicky escargots. The Railroad Square staple was featured on KQED’s “Check, Please! Bay Area” last year. Open 5-9 p.m. daily for dinner.
208 Wilson St., Santa Rosa, 707-528-4355, lagarerestaurant.com
Boulangeries and patisseries:
Goguette Bread
Long-fermented loaves are the bread and butter of this family-run French boulangerie, sold still warm if you time your pickup right (preorders are recommended). The expanded footprint of the bakery means even more to love, including creamy French custard ice cream (try their espresso and ice cream affogato), sandwiches and buttery cookies. Open 1:30-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
59 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, goguettebread.com
Pascaline Bistro and Patisserie
Doing double duty as a bakery and café, this French-owned carb-loading destination is the place to go for flaky croissants, kouign-amann and sweet pastries for breakfast (or lunch), along with hearty sandwiches, quiche and salads after 10:30 a.m. Pascaline also serves bistro-style dinners from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with offerings like boeuf bourguignon, veal viennoise and mushroom farrotto, plus a wine list with selections from France to Wine Country.
1021 Hahman Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-303-7151, pascalinebistro.com
Sarmentine
French expat Alexandra Zandvliet turned a pandemic pop-up into a multi-location patisserie phenomenon. The original, popular shop in Santa Rosa expanded to The Barlow in Sebastopol in 2023, taking over the former Red Bird Bakery location. Just last year, Sarmentine opened its third location in Petaluma. Don’t miss the baguettes, chocolate tarts, cream-filled mille-feuille and seasonal cakes like bûche de Noël. Plus, lunch sandwiches, cheeses, terrines and other French goodies.
52 Mission Circle, Suite 112, Santa Rosa; 6760 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol; 840 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-623-9595, sarmentine.com
Costeaux Bakery
This Healdsburg bakery has been a favorite for sourdough baguettes, croissants and addictive French onion soup since 1973 (the original bakery was built in 1923, right next to the current location). Their deep dish quiche, with ham, bacon, mushrooms, cheese and a few veggies just for good measure, never fails to impress. A go-to for great cakes, as well.
417 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1913, costeaux.com
Les Pascals
This bright butter-yellow café is impossible to miss and a cyclist favorite for its pastries and coffee. Classic croissants, brioche and breads, the hard-to-find Paris-Brest (a doughnut-shaped éclair), sandwiches, quiche and the required French onion soup are on the menu. Open every day except Wednesday.
13758 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-934-8378, lespascalspatisserie.com
Ready to savor Sonoma County’s French renaissance for yourself? Plan your own culinary tour, from rustic countryside bistros to elegant patisseries, and taste why our local chefs are making France feel right at home. Bon appétit — and don’t forget to share your favorites!
