Dufflet Pastries
1917 Queen Street East (Beach location)
416-699-4900
Dessert and a glass of wine for two with all taxes: $30

Luscious dessert by the “Queen of Cake” paired with a carefully chosen tipple? What a sweet idea. Dufflet’s Beaches retail cafe location is licensed and has extended hours until 11pm from Thursdays to Saturdays, offering dessert and wine pairings “inspired from the cafes of France and Italy”.

It’s not the first time that a sweet-centric spot with a license to imbibe came on the scene - most of my highschool days were spent at various joints of the defunct Just Desserts chain - but it is one of the few places that promises thoughtful pairings of double decadence. As someone who has maybe gone so far as eating a brownie with coffee and Bailey’s, I was intrigued by the notion of drinking wine with the final course.

For those who find this old hat, the typical rule is that the wine ought always to be sweeter than the dessert or else it will taste dull and overly acidic. However, others disagreed, likening dessert to an entree, with a myriad of wine enhancement combinations that are not limited to typical syrupy dessert types.

I had had the wine and dessert idea since autumn, and finally headed to the Queen East Dufflets because I was craving chocolate fondue. At this location, there were a few stools in the front window, but the eyes go straight to the large glass display case housing all sorts of goodies. In the back there is a cozy area with a few candle-lit tables. Staff who were friendly and helpful came by to provide guidance to the menu offerings and also made substitution suggestions as well.

With a sudden change of heart, I opted for the lighter sounding citron tart ($6.50) meant to be paired with a Vidal. Warned that some find this too sweet, I was steered toward a glass of sparking wine ($6) as an alternate option. Soon the tart appeared with my drink in a stemless glass (please, please someone make this trend go away, at least for whites). I found that the custard of the tart was overly eggy and the crust merely textbook, despite a good level of lemon sourness and subtle sweetness. However, the fresh berry garnish and compote were much more captivating. I didn’t find that the wine added to anything. Perhaps I should have gone with the Vidal.

My companion really enjoyed his Kahlua Toffee bar ($7.50) and port ($6). He thought the consistency and texture was like a heavy fudge brownie and the sweetness and pecans reminded him of sugar pie. I noticed however, a distracting burntness permeating through the crust. The side of vanilla ice cream, lighter like gelato, provided a nice palate cleansing effect.

We both agreed that the port was bold, spicy and sweet, weighing heavy on the tongue. He suggested that some may find it overbearing, especially when combined with the sickly sweet bar. As my first taste of the tipple, I found its warmth and vivacity a nice respite from the chilly outside and that its richness went surprisingly well with my dessert.

Overall this venture made for a pleasant winter evening. The pastry flaws did not offend, instead imbued a sort of “grandma’s homemade treats” effect. Although not an enlightening experience, it makes for a decent treat, or a good go-on-a-date option.