{"id":126692,"date":"2025-07-03T08:49:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T15:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/?p=126692"},"modified":"2025-07-03T14:53:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T21:53:20","slug":"petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/","title":{"rendered":"Petaluma\u2019s New Bijou Restaurant Is California-Inspired With a French Accent"},"content":{"rendered":"

Table Culture Provisions’ recent snub by the 2025 California Michelin Guide isn’t keeping chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis<\/a> up at night. But his new Petaluma restaurant, Bijou, is a different story.<\/p>\n

Since December, Saint Louis has been laser-focused on what he calls his \u201cdream restaurant\u201d \u2014 a more casual cousin to Table Culture Provisions\u2019 fine dining experience. Hiring servers, training new kitchen staff and fine-tuning an ever-evolving California-French menu has kept him deep in the weeds, with 18-hour days leading up to Bijou\u2019s June 13 opening.<\/p>\n

“I’m not mad about (the Michelin star), because I’m very busy with Bijou. I don’t mind things happening in due time, step by step,” he said while prepping for a Monday night service at the restaurant.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s a disappointment.<\/p>\n

\"Chef
Chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis dream of a French-inspired menu and cocktail program comes to fruition at Bijou Monday, July 1, 2025, in Petaluma. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bijou\"
The dining room at Bijou restaurant in the former Easy Rider location Monday, July 1, 2025, in Petaluma. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In March, Michelin added Table Culture Provisions (TCP) to its California Guide<\/a>, calling it “too good to overlook.” The mention doubled business at the 17-seat restaurant overnight, Saint Louis said. On weekends, it\u2019s now booked months in advance.<\/p>\n

By all accounts, it seemed likely the four-year-old fine dining restaurant, which Saint Louis co-owns with chef Steven Vargas, would earn a star \u2014 potentially making it the first Black-owned Michelin-starred restaurant in California.<\/p>\n

But right now, Saint Louis has more than enough on his plate without the pressure and heightened expectations that tend to come with the culinary award.<\/p>\n

“If we get a star, I’ll never take it for granted,” he said. “But right now, I have to do what I do best and win people’s hearts with food.”<\/p>\n

Building Bijou<\/h4>\n

“I’ve never had the luxury of building the perfect restaurant,” Saint Louis said.<\/p>\n

From its prime downtown location to its constantly evolving menu, Bijou 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.<\/p>\n

“I would look at this building and I’d think, ‘Man, one day, I think I’m going to get this place,'” he recalled.<\/p>\n

\"Chef
Chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis\u2019 dream of a French-inspired menu and cocktail program comes to fruition at Bijou Monday, July 1, 2025, in Petaluma. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bijou\"
Croquette of salted cod brandade, garlic scapes and shishito lemon aioli from Bijou, the new Petaluma restaurant from chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis, Monday, July 1, 2025. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Easy Rider closed in December 2024, he jumped at the opportunity. The space came with a full bar and a well-equipped, upgraded kitchen.<\/p>\n

Bijou, which means \u201cjewel\u201d in French, gives Saint Louis room to play. Its \u00e0 la carte menu offers a broader canvas for his creativity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wake up with so many ideas. Every day I take an item off the menu and put something new in. I love having so much creative freedom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The food<\/h4>\n

Consider this more of a first look than a formal review. The menu has already changed significantly from my first visit, so much so that Saint Louis expressed concern when I asked about the plating and preparation of some of the dishes I tried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I made last week and what\u2019s going to come out today is going to be so different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Bijou\"
Bijou pastry chef Sylvain Varsy shows Stefany Rios how to make their new pastry, a Strawberry Tart with strawberry compote, vanilla cream, mint strawberry sorbet and meringue, Monday, July 1, 2025, in Petaluma. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Strawberry
Strawberry Tart with strawberry compote, vanilla cream, mint strawberry sorbet and meringue from Bijou Monday, July 1, 2025, in Petaluma. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some staples, however, will remain on the menu \u2014 a fish entr\u00e9e, steak frites, housemade pasta and several starters. While the components may change, the palate remains rooted in Saint Louis\u2019 culinary training.<\/p>\n

“I’m a French-trained chef, but this isn’t the usual bistro-type of food. It’s all about the technicality in the kitchen,” he said.<\/p>\n

That translates to elegant sauces, meticulously sourced ingredients and refined plating \u2014 all at midrange prices. Entr\u00e9es range from $26 to $42, with snacks and shareables between $18 and $22.<\/p>\n

On my visit, the daily catch was white sea bass with charred, crispy skin, served atop melted leeks and finished with a yin-yang of buttery leek sauce and rich steak jus ($32). It was light yet decadent, and perfectly executed.<\/p>\n

\"Bijou\"
The daily \u201cCatch\u201d of White Seabass, saffron risotto, asparagus, creamy leeks, capers and jus from Bijou in Petaluma. Photo taken Monday, July 1, 2025. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bijou\u2019s steak frites ($42) restored my faith in this bistro classic after too many run-ins with gristly, undercooked hanger steaks and gloopy Bordelaise sauces elsewhere. Here, generous slices of tender steak come with a rich peppercorn sauce and fries on the side, to keep them crisp and ready for dipping.<\/p>\n

The well-curated menu also includes dishes like duck caramelle pasta (candy-shaped pasta stuffed with duck), diver scallops with tobiko, and TCP\u2019s now-legendary Parker House Rolls ($12). These warm, yeasty rolls are as fluffy as cotton candy and finished with flakes of sea salt \u2014 a must-order.<\/p>\n

While not every dish hit the mark in the weeks after opening, Saint Louis is constantly refining the menu to meet his exacting standards.<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate
Chocolate Au Lait with chocolate creme, hazelnut praline and milk ice cream from Bijou, the new Petaluma restaurant from chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis Monday, July 1, 2025. (John Burgess \/ The Press Democrat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I’m still trying to find myself here,” he said. “Right now, I’m at the stage where I’m getting the machine going with my personal ideas and goals, what I want service to look like and the dishes to be.”<\/p>\n

With any luck, Michelin will take notice in 2026.<\/p>\n

Bijou, 190 Kentucky St., Petaluma. Reservations are available on OpenTable<\/a> and are highly recommended. Open 4-9 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday, closed Wednesdays. Note: The restaurant automatically adds a 5% service charge for staff.<\/p>\n

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com<\/a>. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Petaluma’s new Bijou \u2014 a more casual cousin to Table Culture Provisions\u2019 fine dining experience \u2014 is the latest from acclaimed chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":145,"featured_media":126737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2288,113,24298,5,25145,749],"tags":[5183,3082],"layout":[5591],"class_list":["post-126692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biteclub","category-eat-and-drink","category-sonoma-restaurants","category-things-to-do","category-trending","category-whats-new-sonoma-county","tag-french-restaurant","tag-petaluma-restaurant"],"yoast_head":"\nPetaluma\u2019s New Bijou Is California-Inspired With a French Accent - Sonoma Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Petaluma's new Bijou restaurant \u2014 chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis's dream project \u2014 blends casual dining with California-French cuisine.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"website\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Petaluma\u2019s New Bijou Restaurant Is California-Inspired With a French Accent\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Petaluma's new Bijou restaurant \u2014 chef St\u00e9phane Saint Louis's dream project \u2014 blends casual dining with California-French cuisine.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sonoma Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SONOMAmagazine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-03T15:49:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-03T21:53:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/jb0701_Bijou_004.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1632\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Maci Martell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sonomamag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sonomamag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Heather Irwin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Maci Martell\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/#\/schema\/person\/30ffddb200cd166316763da9a3277de7\"},\"headline\":\"Petaluma\u2019s New Bijou Restaurant Is California-Inspired With a French Accent\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-03T15:49:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-07-03T21:53:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\"},\"wordCount\":1114,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/jb0701_Bijou_004.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"French restaurant\",\"Petaluma restaurant\"],\"articleSection\":[\"BiteClub\",\"Food + Drink\",\"Sonoma Restaurants\",\"Things To Do in Sonoma\",\"Trending\",\"What's New in Wine Country\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/petalumas-new-bijou-restaurant-is-california-inspired-with-a-french-accent\/\",\"name\":\"Petaluma\u2019s New Bijou Is California-Inspired With a French Accent - 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