What is excess?

Surely it's not devouring three financiers, one butter croissant and one-half of an almond croissant each morning with your coffee.

Because on our trip to Paris, that's just what we did, and it felt just right.  This bakery was near our apartment in Belleville, which we found through airbnb, a website that everyone should know about. And, it just so happens that Boulangerie 140 is one of the city's best. No, seriously.  A one-time winner of the Best Baguette in Paris award,  I knew I was onto something good when I spotted this review on David Lebovitz's blog.

When we bit into that first butter croissant, I knew I was in for trouble. Trouble because...this was a real croissant. Buttery, crunchy, light, soft, and in dozens of tiny layers. No longer could I lie to myself, saying that Spanish croissants are halfway decent.

And their financiers were equally heavenly. Each day we got deux de chacun, one for me and one for Buckley: raspberry, chocolate, and regular. A must eat if you're nearby in Paris.