Every food writer has a favorite dining companion, and mine is my husband, hands down. Over the course of our relationship, he has endured deep-fried brains, various soups swimming with tripe, and sandwiches made with crispy pig snoots — and he married me anyway.

Thankfully, I sealed that deal before we went to Rue Lafayette Café and Boutique.

I'm not saying that Rue Lafayette isn't perfectly wonderful — in fact, for a Francophile like me, it was pretty much paradise. With Edith Piaf warbling over the sound system, a warm wood interior with pressed copper ceilings, ample al fresco dining across from leafy and picturesque Lafayette Park, and host dog Bella Rue underfoot, Rue Lafayette is a tiny bit of Paris in our French-in-name-only city.

A menu of pastries, egg dishes and a few sandwiches is perfect for a nibble over cocktails with the girls, before or after browsing Rue Lafayette's boutique for darling aprons, funky purses and jewelry.

And therein, between the quiche and shopping, was my spouse's problem: Rue Lafayette just isn't where some guys want to be on a Sunday afternoon at the start of football season. But that doesn't mean he didn't enjoy the food. It's hard to go wrong with a sandwich when it's packed with salty slices of ham, covered in melting Gruyere cheese and served on an excellent toasted roll ($8.95).

I loved the Quiche Lorraine ($8.95), a true "coup de coeur" of tender egg blended with nutty Gruyere, finely diced bacon and bits of onion in a flaky, buttery crust.

But I fell completely for Rue Lafayette's macarons ($1.75 each). Pretty, girly and pastel-toned, these crunchy, almond-infused meringues sandwiched around fillings like vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam were total man repellers — and therefore all mine.

Suddenly, dragging my husband to Rue Lafayette wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

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Rue Lafayette

Where 2026 Lafayette Avenue • More info 314-772-2233; ruelafayette.us • Hours 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday