When The Petaluma Chef Showed Up With A French Leek Story On Morning TV

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Sonoma County restaurateur brought a taste of southwest France to morning TV, spotlighting local farms while celebrating a global cultural tradition.

With a leek nearly as long as his arm and a grin that suggested he’d done this before, chef Nick Ronan turned a live television segment into something more than a cooking demo — he made it a story about place.

Appearing on KTVU's "Mornings On 2" alongside reporter Sal Castaneda, Ronan marked Francophonie Month by building a simple dish from ingredients that, like him, carry a sense of origin.

He sliced into a three-foot leek from a Petaluma grower, added Meyer lemons and chives from the same agricultural pocket, and finished with a flourish of Clover butter.

“You can use nothing else but Clover. It’s ours,” Ronan said, claiming the ingredient with the same conviction he applies to his adopted home, Petaluma.

Ronan, chef-owner of Bistro Brigitte, grew up in a village of about 3,000 people in southwest France, not far from Carcassonne. The medieval citadel known as La Cité — a UNESCO-famous fortress — now wraps the exterior of his restaurant on Petaluma Boulevard North, a visual cue that his cooking remains rooted across the Atlantic.

“My cooking is from there. My palate is there,” he said.

Inside his Petaluma kitchen, those roots show up as what he calls “flavor memories”: duck confit, cassoulet, escargot, beef bourguignon, foie gras.

But on television, Ronan leaned into Sonoma County soil and seasons. Petaluma, he said, is his second home, and the feeling extends across the region. “We care for each other in Sonoma County.”

A French technique here, a Sonoma ingredient there — the result was both deeply personal and widely accessible.

That sense of connection aligns neatly with the spirit of International Francophonie Day, the centerpiece of Francophonie Month. Events promoted by the Alliance Française bring concerts, films, and educational programming to cities across the United States.

Ronan’s KTVU demo came just days before this year’s observance on Thursday.

The segment ended the way live television often does: abruptly. Ronan and Castaneda ran out of time before the dish was complete. But the chef had a plated version that he handed over to his host, letting the flavors finish the story.

Castaneda had one final question: If diners visit Bistro Brigitte, will they meet the chef?

Ronan didn’t hesitate.“If I’m not there,” he said, “it’s closed.”

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