After having introduced my husband to one of my favorite museums, the Nissim de Camondo, we stopped for brunch just down the street, the Grand Café de la Poste, at 103 blvd. Malesherbes. It was the best brunch I’ve ever had in Paris, perhaps the best I’ve ever had. In addition to standards like scrambled eggs, sausages, and freshly squeezed orange juice, there were grilled vegetables, ham and smoked salmon wrapped around chèvre, and pain perdu (pahn pair-do). Pain perdu literally means “lost bread,” but it’s the equivalent of French toast. The difference is that pain perdu has sugar in the mixture. As it cooks, the sugar caramelizes like the top of crème brûlée. Sooooo good. In addition to terrific food, the service was great, the presentation was original, and the café’s décor is charming. I’ll be back to the Grand Café. In the meantime, here’s Ina Garten’s recipe for pain perdu.

Pancakes, Crepes, Waffles and French Toast:  Irresistible Recipes from the Griddle