Last week, my best friends were cavorting in what I imagined to be perfect autumn days in Paris. Back here in St. Louis, as I slogged through days of pouring rain, every drop screamed, "And you're not there with them, loser!"

Then the skies cleared into a brilliant blue, the golden light of late October filtered through falling leaves, and SweetArt Bakeshop and Art Studio gave me my own taste of la vie bohème.

With its strains of classic soul music, pear-green interior, casually mismatched furnishings and chic but incredibly gracious staff, SweetArt has effortless cool alongside lived-in warmth. Husband-and-wife owners Reine and Cbabi bring the "sweet" with Reine's handcrafted, all-natural cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and vegetarian sandwiches and salads, and the "art" on walls lined with Cbabi's stunning paintings.

Start with a Sweet Burger ($6.85), a nutty, vegan-that-will-please-a-carnivore patty of lentils, carrots and vegetarian meat-substitute on a soft, grainy bun that's bursting with fresh field greens and sauced with both sweet tomato and lush, faux-feta spreads.

Then learn to linger — no one at SweetArt hurries — over cupcakes ($2.25 each), selected from an array of gorgeously decorated, flavorfully decadent options. The Fauxstess is a superior riff on a Hostess cupcake, with wonderfully light chocolate cake under frosting that skillfully balances fondant texture and deep, rich flavor.

An homage to Halloween, the One-Eyed Monster is tender red velvet cake swathed in astonishingly silky cream cheese frosting studded with a homemade marshmallow and chocolate fondant "eyeball."

Parisians may share SweetArt's commitment to craft and je ne sais quoi, but they aren't nearly as fun. And I was glad to be home.