Forget about gilding the lily. I’m all for battering the brioche, especially if you do it the way they do at Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro, which recently opened in Loreto Plaza. Not surprisingly, given that chef/baker Renaud Gonthier is French, he makes one scrumptious French toast (real maple syrup doesn’t hurt, either). Others in my group vouched for a fried egg sandwich and the quiche Lorraine; indeed we all liked our food so much that our usually convivial group never offered any tastes to anyone else. Even more impressive, we managed to resist the tempting assortment of baked goods so gorgeous you almost (I said almost) don’t want to eat them. I’ll definitely be back for the Saint Honore, which consists of praline mousse, Tahitian vanilla cream, old rum, chocolate madeleine sponge cake, and chocolate mini eclairs ringing its heavenly top.
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Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro is located at 3315 State Street. Call 569-2400 or visit renaudsbakery.com.