I'll second the recommendation for Whole Foods. They tend to have pretty good bakery departments. Do note, however, that Whole Foods often buys and incorporates local bakeries into their stores, so the breads do vary from place to place.

I like baguettes with cheese and fruit. A favorite combination for me is brie and pears. Any good quality brie will do--let it warm to nearly room temperature so it's nice and soft. Spread it on a piece of bread and put a thin slice of pear on top. Very nice.

After a day or two, baguettes should be made into croutons or crostini. For crosinit, slice the bread thin, put it on a baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and toast in the oven at 300 degress F (about 150C) until it reaches the desired crispness (no more than 10 minutes should do). Put a little chopped tomato and basil on top and enjoy.

If the baguette is fresh enough to cut crosswise to make a submarine-style sandwich, good combinations are:

- the aforementioned brie and pear--and add a little freash spinach to complete it.
- Caprese - fresh mozarella, roma tomatoe slices, spinach and basil leaves, and a little olive oil or a simple pesto.
- smoked salmon, creamcheese, and capers. Add a little thin sliced red onion if you like.

I can't recommend specific brands. Most of the stuff above is just fresh food, so go to a supermarket and get what they have that looks good.

For Bagets you should check out Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread, and Le Pain Quotidien. You can also find them at Whole Foods. I like it with parmesan cheese. A little Kraft Parmesan Cheese works well.

I love eating cheese and french bread. It is one of my favorite snack foods. There is a specialty cheese store pretty close to my house, and going to experiment with different cheeses is amazing. They make baguettes fresh in their store, and I prefer to eat them right away. I don't like letting the bread go stale.

I really like blue cheeses, brie, goat cheeses, and anything else with a strong flavor. Humboldt Fog is a great one, and I would recommend trying it if you can find it around you: http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/cheeses/section_3.0.html#humboldt_fog

In addition to just bread and cheese, I think a slice of french bread with a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella, and a basil leaf is a great snack. You can cut up a baguette into slices and put the cheese, tomato and basil on it and eat it with a couple of people outside in the summer. Bring a bottle of wine with it, and it's a great way to spend the afternoon.