Dufflet
#TIFF19: OUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2019 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!
See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:
1. Renée Zellweger
2. Meryl Streep
3. Tom Hanks
4. Jennifer Lopez
5. Kristen Stewart
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#TIFF19: #KristenStewart winning raves for her work in #Seberg. #TIFF #KStew #HuaweiP30Pro
6. Joaquin Phoenix
#TIFF19: #JoaquinPhoenix at the #TIFF Premiere of #Joker. pic.twitter.com/uha0WlQXbc
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
7. Eddie Murphy
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#TIFF19: Comedy legend #EddieMurphy at #TIFF with #DolemiteismyName! #HuaweiP30Pro
8. Bruce Springsteen
9. Taika Waititi
10. The Cast of Knives Out
Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.
See all our sightings and reviews here.
A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.
CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.
ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall. Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart! Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.
Proud to call the gorgeous and flashy #AcuraTLX Elite my vehicle of choice for #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/xQLNVOXJLJ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 4, 2019
HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.
H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie, he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails. Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!
Bruce Springsteen spotted at Weslodge in advance of his Western Stars Premiere. Toldja it would be a hotspot #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/adRFFJyH34
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 12, 2019
STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!
DUFFLET PASTRIES – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!
Always got time for @duffletpastries. RT for a chance to #win a free cake! #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/NXjpP0DGmt
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!
CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!
Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!
TIFF19: We love you guys and appreciate all your support these past ten years so much!! Congrats to Mike, who won our #TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition! pic.twitter.com/bVYOB9r3Fn
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF19: OUR OFFICIAL TIFF SPONSORS AND PARTNERS | TENTH ANNIVERSARY PRIZE PACK
There’s no doubt about it, it’s our favourite time of the year! The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival runs from Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 14, 2019 and you’d better bet we’re stoked!
The Festival also marks our tenth anniversary as a Blogger. We remember not knowing which direction we’d go when we posted our first Blog Post and if anyone even cared what we thought! Looking back, it’s been an amazing journey – the experiences we’ve had and the people we’ve met along the way. We created the site originally as a platform to share all the awesome snaps we got during TIFF and to share our thoughts on what we saw since we loved the Festival so much. One thing led to another and who knew we’d be around kicking still today and that we’d be an accredited outlet? We don’t know how we’ve gotten here, but we’re touched deeply by your support all these years! We owe it all to you and the amazing contributors who have kept Mr. Will Wong afloat: Amanda Gilmore, Justin Waldman, Siobhán Rich, George Kozera, David Baldwin and Jon Godfrey! This ride has been magical.
See us talk about our tenth anniversary and our TIFF ’19 picks!
TIFF ’19 we’re doing it bigger and better than ever. It’s our tenth anniversary and we want you to celebrate in all our joy. This is will be one of the best Festivals in recent memory with bigger names and the biggest Films set to premiere in our City. We want to thank you partners, new and returning for helping us celebrate the occasion!
A huge thank you goes out to:
CP24 – With over 3.1 million viewers a week, we are thrilled to partner again with the definitive choice in breaking news coverage, CP24 for a TENTH year! We’ll be teaming-up with Kelly Linehan to deliver you some celeb scoop and the Films getting all the buzz at the Fest!
HUAWEI CANADA – I’ve never gotten as many raves on my Social Media about my photographs as when I tested-out the Huawei P30 Pro. We are overjoyed that this will be our official new phone in gorgeous burnt orange (just released) beginning TIFF ’19! We can’t go wrong with its 32MP photos, 256GB memory and incredible Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! We can’t wait to show you all our snaps and Selfies from the Festival from the phone, which will serve as our communication hub, keeping you all up-to-date on the excitement!
ACURA CANADA – we’ll be cruising in style TIFF ’19 in the 2019 ACURA TLX, And how super-fitting is it that Acura Canada is one of the official sponsors of the Festival? This car is gorgeous, sleek and luxurious, true to Acura form and we look forward to all these star-filled adventures the ride will take us on!
HUAWEI CANADA – I’ve never gotten as many raves on my Social Media about my photographs as when I tested-out the Huawei P30 Pro. We are overjoyed that this will be our official new phone in gorgeous burnt orange (just released) beginning TIFF ’19! We can’t go wrong with its 32MP photos, 256GB memory and incredible Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! We can’t wait to show you all our snaps and Selfies from the Festival from the phone, which will serve as our communication hub, keeping you all up-to-date on the excitement!
H&M CANADA – H&M continue to keep us on-trend and we can’t wait to show you some of the pieces we’ll be wearing TIFF ’19. We always have fun with it and hope you enjoy the looks!
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s Canadian fare and cocktails and we love it! You must try their Southern Fried Chicken, Steaks and Fish & Chips. Also their Mac & Cheese is superb! Several stars like Isabelle Huppert, Richard Gere, Chelsea Handler, Chloë Moretz and more have been spotted here and we expect to see more this year.
STARBUCKS CANADA – TIFF means the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back and you know we love our PSLs! We look forward every fall to those early morning screenings, waiting in line in that cool, crisp air to get into our screenings and then getting a warm hug from the PSL inside the cool, dark theatre as we try to stay awake! The PSL is back in stores now only at Starbucks.
DUFFLET PASTRIES – We love our treats and Dufflet has and always will be the Queen of Cake®! We always make time for a bit of relaxation towards the end of TIFF, and can’t wait to indulge in a slice of Black Forest or Raspberry Vanilla Charlotte! Their Queen Street location isn’t too far from all the Festival excitement.
MARY BROWN’S – We recently got reacquainted with Mary and it was all for the better! We have so many fond memories of Mary Brown’s famous Chicken and Taters as a child and they are better than ever, celebrating their 50th anniversary! With locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is WORTH. THE. DRIVE. Get on this.
CHATIME CANADA – I confess my Bubble Tea addiction still rages on. With more and more locations popping-up throughout the Greater Toronto Area, we can’t wait for you to discover our favourite cold beverage. Try the Wintermelon Iced Tea or Grapefruit Iced Tea – my favourites!
We hate leaving you guys out, so in celebration of our tenth anniversary, we’re giving you guys a chance to win our TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition, which includes:
$100 Gift Card to WESLODGE SALOON or any INK Entertainment dining establishment in Toronto including TIFF hotspots Figo, Byblos, Estia, Kōst, Patria, Sofia, La Société, Mister C., Akira Back and more.
Ten select Blu-rays/DVDs including current blockbuster hits and past TIFF selections
$150 Chatime Prize Pack including T-Shirt
$30 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
$25 Mary Brown’s Gift Card
Two Martini Glasses
One cake at Dufflet Pastries
One pair of headphones
A value of $700 CAN!
*Winner must be able to pick-up the Survival Pack from me in the downtown core during the Festival.
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM or MR. WILL ON TWITTER. Tell us in the comments your favourite memory of being a Mr. Will Reader all these years! In the comment, tag two friends for an extra chance.
Even if you don’t win the Prize Pack be following us on our adventures as we’ll be doing giveaways on our Social Media through TIFF ’19!
Don’t forget to follow us here on our TIFF ’19 adventures:
Mr. Will [Instagram] | [Twitter] | [Facebook]
Amanda Gilmore [Twitter]
David Baldwin [Twitter]
George Kozera [Twitter]
Siobhan Rich [Twitter]
Justin Waldman [Twitter]
Jon Godfrey [Instagram]
A very special thank you to Jensen Lee who customized a special 10th anniversary logo just for us!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF18: INTRODUCING OUR OFFICIAL 2018 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PARTNERS
With TIFF ’18 being just a week away, we’re super-excited to present to you some of our official partners of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival! We live for TIFF and are thrilled as a team to be accredited to the Festival and also bring you as always unparalleled intimate access to the stars and Films of the Festival!
We’re thrilled to give our Readers a chance to be just as stoked as us and we give you a chance to win our TIFF SURVIVAL PRIZE PACK, which is bigger and better than ever!
We’d like to thank the following parnters:
DUFFLET PASTRIES – Toronto’s reigning Queen of Cake® still is going strong with an uptown and down location. When there’s a celebration, it’s always been about Dufflet Pastries’ cakes and pastries for us. TIFF is no exception. There are two locations: 787 Queen Street West and 2638 Yonge Street. Did you know the Queen Street West location offers High Tea on Sundays? Learn more at http://dufflet.com.
ESTIA is just one of several TIFF hotspots owned by popular restauranteur, hotelier and night club owner Charles Khabouth. Known for its acclaimed Mediterranean cuisine, Estia situated at 90 Avenue Road, is a must-try this TIFF. More at http://estiatoronto.com.
WESLODGE owned also by Charles Khabouth, for years has been a hotspot for the stars during the Festival. Known for its classic cocktails and Canadian fare, this vintage tavern at 480 King Street West, has and will continue to host several stars TIFF ’18. We hear the Fried Chicken is superb! More at http://weslodge.com.
STARBUCKS CANADA – TIFF is about the coming of fall and nothing says autumn comfort like Starbucks‘ signature PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE, now back in stores! We have fond memories of warming-up in many a cold line-up at TIFF with this fan favourite and can’t wait to get reacquainted this TIFF! More at http://starbucks.ca.
BLACKBERRY CANADA – We can’t wait to show you all the celebrity selfies and up-close star sightings at TIFF ’18. This year our official smartphone will be the super-sleek and functional Blackberry Key2. Learn all about this reborn icon at https://blackberrymobile.com/ca/product/blackberry-key2.
BRITBOX CANADA – We can’t wait for a bit of downtime post-TIFF and what better way to relax than to catch-up with some of our favourite British programming from BBC and iTV? Britbox Canada is brought to us by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, bringing home iconic favorites, exclusive premieres, and current series and soaps. Learn more about their latest programming options: https://www.britbox.com/ca/collection/premieres.
ACURA CANADA – Mobility is so important for us during TIFF and once again we’ll be partnering with Acura Canada and driving the 2018 Acura ILX. Acura Canada will be front and center at TIFF this year as a major sponsor and we’re thrilled to experience some of that starpower! Sleek, compact and stylish, we’ll be travelling in style in this beauty! More here: https://www.acura.ca/ilx.
KANDLE ARTISTIQUE – Purveyor of luxurious candles, you now can make your own candles at their gorgeous Yorkville location at 88 Avenue Road in Toronto. More here.
NIKON CANADA – We can’t wait to show you our photos, taken on none other than the state-of-the-art Nikon D850, shooting at 45.7 megapixels, with 4k and 8K video options! More here.
H&M CANADA – We love H&M and are thrilled to be donning H&M and H&M only at TIFF ’18. Can’t wait to show you some pieces from their Fall/Winter 2018 Collection. More at http://hm.com.
CHATIME CANADA – We’ll never get sick of Bubble Tea and to us there’s only Chatime! With various locations across Canada we can’t wait for too to discover the refreshment! Our fave midday beverage? Grapefruit Green Tea (half-sweet, less ice) is our perfect afternoon pick-me-up! Discover your new favourite. More here: http://chatime.com
CP24 – For the past 10 years, we’ve been a contributor at this popular news network and can’t wait to reunite this TIFF ’18 to deliver you the scoop and sightings, plus all the buzz on the hottest Films at TIFF! Don’t forget to tune in as we kick it all off tomorrow, Wednesday, September 5 in the 12 o’clock hour on Live at Noon with George Lagogianes!
Now for the fun stuff! We want to give Readers to win our TIFF ’18 Survival Pack which is bigger and more delicious than ever! Contents include:
One free six-month Britbox Canada membership
$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
A Dufflet Pastries Gift Card for one cake
A $200 Estia Gift Card
H&M Canada VIP Card
Two Chatime Canada Vouchers
One Kandle Artistique Candle
Stay tuned to our Social Media throughout TIFF ’18 as we give away
A $200 Weslodge Gift Card
Chatime Canada Drink Vouchers
Starbucks Canada Gift Cards
Britbox Canada Six-Month Memberships
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Click “share” on this Post or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!
Don’t forget to join us on our TIFF ’18 adventures and be following on Social Media for real-time updates! You won’t regret it!
Twitter: @mrwillw
Instagram: @mrwillwong
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mrwillwongblog
Don’t forget to be following Team Mr. Will also:
Dave Baldwin: @davemabaldwin
Amanda Gilmore: @gilmoreamanda
George Kozera: @partyg
Siobhan Rich: @typo_eh
Justin Waldman: @dubsreviews
Jonathan Godfrey: @skot_somers
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF17: MR. WILL’S OFFICIAL PARTNERS OF THE 2017 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
We couldn’t do TIFF ’17 without the support of our amazing partners who make what otherwise is an eventful and hectic 11 days just that much more manageable! We’re lucky already to have an amazing Team (Jonathan Godfrey, Justin Waldman, Siobhán Rich, David Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore) who help bring us the coverage on the Films and talent making the biggest splash at the Festival, but we’re just as grateful to have the support of some amazing partners including:
CP24
Returning for a ninth consecutive year, we’ll be partnering again with Southern Ontario’s favourite news channel CP24 for TIFF ’17 delivering you all the scoop on the Festival’s hottest Films and stars! See our photos real-time as we upload them onto our Social media channels as we spot the stars and see the Films, and also on CP24! You’ll see a lot of us in-studio and live-to-air. Be watching!
Here’s a link to our TIFF ’17 Preview on Live at Noon:
STARBUCKS CANADA
Every TIFF we’re treated to amazing Films which we’re so lucky to see first before Awards Season and all those stars in town! But just as exciting is that the Pumpkin Spice Latte, known affectionately as the PSL, returns too right in time for the Festival! The PSL is our official beverage of choice during the Festival and the perfect treat at a time of ultimate indulgence! Learn all about Starbucks Canada‘s Fall Menu and stay connected on all their new delicious offerings here.
COME CLEAN 100% NATURAL BAMBOO CLEANING CLOTHS
Make-Up Artist-recommended, these bamboo cloths from Consonant Skin Care which come in packs of 10, not only cleanse but also brighten the skin with anti-aging botanicals! It’s so easy to not look your freshest after those long TIFF days, and these will ensure you look your freshest! More here.
THE FASHION PIG
It is always best to get a second opinion on things. The Fashion Pig is a fashion consulting service for women and men tailored to your individual body type. We aren’t all the same and different things work on different people. They also offer de-cluttering consultation services also for your living space. Learn more here.
DUFFLET PASTRIES
There is only one Queen of Cake® and that is Dufflet Rosenberg. We are proud to partner again with Dufflet Pastries this TIFF to let you experience true decadence. Just minutes west of Entertainment District, you must check out their Queen St. West location for a sweet treat! More here.
SPUDNIKS
It’s so easy to forget about snacking smart during TIFF with movies and stars on your mind, but Toronto’s own SPUDNIKS Kettle Corn, Kettle Chips and Caramel Corn available in large and small sizes, are the perfect snack. Even more awesome, Canada 150 is fully in patriotic effect with their Maple Popcorn which is to die for, but if you’re into something simple and lighter, try their Skinny Pop Sea Salt and Sunflower Oil-seasoned Popcorn! They contain no MSG, are all natural, no additives nor Trans-Fats. Heart-healthy, almost all their products have no cholesterol. Did you know that SPUDNIKS is the official Caramel Corn of Toronto institutions like the CN Tower, Toronto Blue Jays and the Royal Ontario Museum? You can even get ’em at Pearson Airport! More here.
SUBWAY® GRILLED WRAPS
During TIFF, every second counts and sometimes you just have to multi-task eating with searching something on your phone. These Subway® Grilled Wraps let you hold it all together with deliciousness you can enjoy with one hand and they come in B.L.T., Chicken Caesar and Chicken & Bacon Wrap.
• The savoury Chicken Caesar Melt combines rotisserie-style chicken with shredded Monterey Cheddar cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan, baby spinach, tomatoes and Caesar sauce, wrapped in a soft tortilla and grilled to perfection.
• Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt features tender, rotisserie-style 100 per cent Canadian chicken free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives, served on a fresh tortilla, with mouth-watering bacon, shredded Monterey Cheddar cheese, red onions, green peppers, tomatoes and a creamy ranch sauce.
• You can’t go wrong with a classic grilled B.L.T. wrap, featuring strips of bacon and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and a drizzle of mayo.
With a location right in the middle of the action at King x John, nourishment is never far away, letting you hold it all together! Learn more about Subway® Grilled Wraps here.
ROWENTA X-CEL STEAM BRUSH
Looking flawless during Toronto’s most star-studded season is a chore when you’re tight on time. The Rowenta X-Cel Steam Brush is compact, portable and keeps your clothes crease-less and it does it quick! We plan to keep one handy in our hotel room. Learn more about it here.
H&M CANADA
We love H&M all seasons of the year and TIFF ’17 is no exception. The perfect blend of affordability, innovation and comfort, there are reasons why we keep revisiting H&M‘s fashions. We can dress-up or dress-down with their great versatility. Visit here for their latest arrivals for Women and Men. Did you know they had Justin Bieber merch even in-store September 7, 2017?
2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING
Having a nimble, compact ride is a must during TIFF whether it be for navigating through the bustle of Entertainment District or fitting into those tight parking spots on-the-run. We are of the firm belief that less is more during TIFF and we can’t wait to navigate the Festival in our official ride of TIFF ’17, the super–sleek 2017 Honda Civic 5D Sport Touring! We love its leather interior, wireless phone charging and Honda Sensing™ Suite! The car is the perfect blend of versatility, class and value. Learn more about it here!
HOTEL NOVOTEL DOWNTOWN CENTRE
We’re blessed to call Hotel Novotel Downtown Centre our home once again TIFF ’17. In addition to having everything we need – size, the coziest bed, plenty of parking, pet-friendliness and incredible amenities like an awesome gym, reliable wi-fi and yes, that amazing breakfast buffet at Cafe Nicole. Above this, the staff are incredibly nice and accommodating. The Hotel is just minutes from all that TIFF action, but thankfully just away enough to escape the madness at the end of the night. We love it and always keep coming back! More here.
What good is talking about our amazing partners if we can’t share it all with you? One lucky Willionaire in Toronto will win an amazing TIFF ’17 Survival Kit including goodies from some of our partners including:
Starbucks Canada Gift Card (additional cards to be given away throughout Festival via our Social Media)
Subway® Canada Card (additional cards to be given away throughout Festival via our Social Media)
Dufflet Pastries Gift Card
H&M Canada VIP Card
Rowenta X-Cel Steam Brush
Selection of Spudniks Kettle Chips and Popcorns
Free Men/Women’s Fashion Consultation Voucher from The Fashion Pig
Come Clean 100% Natural Bamboo Cleaning Cloths
A visual of trusty sidekick Billy guarding the goods for us. Click left below for a cute TIFF surprise!
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. For an extra chance, you may:
Re-Tweet this Tweet: @mrwillw
“Like” this Post on Instagram: @mrwillwong
Don’t forget to be following us on the above social channels also for all the latest TIFF ’17 buzz!
Happy TIFF ’17! We’ll be seeing you around town!
Mr. Willxbilly
#FOOD: “DUFFLET AFTER DARK” DESSERT BUFFET AT TORONTO BEACHES LOCATION
Our love for the Queen of Cake® knows no boundaries. Did you know that Dufflet Pastries now once a month offers an evening dessert buffet, DUFFLET AFTER DARK? After debuting late last year right before the Holidays, a second installment of the series was held tonight at their licensed Toronto Beaches location at 1917 Queen Street East. They brought-out their signature favourites on an all-you-can-eat basis for some lucky patrons who were able to secure a table at the event. The ambient, candle-lit affair was hosted by Dufflet team members Davis, Chris and Pippa.
Appearing on the menu were Dufflet’s:
Chocolate Truffle Cake
White Chocolate Mousse Cake
Pink Velvet Cake
Lemon Coconut Cake
Four Fruit Pie
Pecan Pie
Carrot Cake
Braised Short Rib with Merlot Reduction Empanadas
Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Empanadas
Yes, you read right. Empanadas – mini versions of the larger versions offered normally in-store. And they were delectable.
Although my eyes certainly are bigger than my stomach, I managed to get in a bite of each offering. That Lemon Coconut Cake is still as perfect as I remember it and the Four Fruit Pie quickly has become a personal favourite with its shortbread-like crust and a just-tart-enough filling of rhubarb, blueberry, strawberry and apple. It is pie-fection! Their best-selling Carrot Cake remains a gold standard in the industry and is among the best I’ve ever tasted. I brought Mama Wong along for the fun and she quite enjoyed the Pink Velvet Cake.
The Buffet is paired with your choice of red/white wine, coffee (including Espresso) and Sloane Teas. May I recommend the Inniskillin Riesling which was born to be served with the delightful sweetness of Duffet Pastries.
Learn more about DUFFLET AFTER DARK here.
Our Snapstory:
Mama Wong x Mr. Will
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#FOOD: DUFFLET PASTRIES HIGH TEA AT THE BEACHES
Few bakeries in Toronto have as much influence and legacy as Dufflet Pastries. Queen of Cake® Dufflet Rosenberg‘s beginnings were modest, baking right out of her kitchen back in 1975. Who would’ve known that her future would see three public mainstay cafés in Toronto’s prominent Beaches, Queen West and Midtown areas, plus distribution in top-tier grocers like Longo’s, Pusateri’s Fine Foods, Loblaws, Metro and more? A Cake Empire – and believe me, this is not an exaggeration – Rosenberg has built, shaping and defining the discerning tastes of Torontonians.
Moving out on my own in my 20s saw a long sought-after independence for the first time. Dufflet Pastries at Yonge x Eglinton whereabouts I lived in a tiny bachelor suite, was one of the purest delights in that stage of my life. My first visit saw me purchasing – of all things – Samosas but it wouldn’t be long before I’d be conquered by their Key Lime Tarts, charmed by their Raspberry Vanilla Charlotte Cake, my palate piqued by Pink Velvet Cake and in love with their Lemon Coconut Layer Cake. Memories would be made and many of them centered around Dufflet Pastries.
Earlier in the month we had the pleasure of partnering together on our first ever initiative together, which saw my Readers go cake-crazy for a chance to win a Dufflet Cake, timed together with their Easter/Spring Menu launch. As a surprise, it was an incredible honour to be invited to High Tea (something I didn’t even know was an option!) at the Beaches location by the Queen of Cake® herself. The likes of cultural authority BlogTO have christened it one of the City’s best Afternoon Tea Services and as always, they are spot-on.
I had the pleasure of inviting a couple dear friends to whom I owe the favour, of joining me for the unforgettable experience. Paired together with the well-reputed Teas of Sloane Fine Tea Merchants, a variety of options are available including Heavenly Cream, Earl Grey Classic, Marrakesh Mint, Jasmine Snow Dragon, Cocoa Chai Chai, Darjeeling 2nd Flush and more. I tried the latter, a robust-tasting pairing with the phenomenal scones, cakes, macarons and sandwiches to be offered.
Let me start first by giving credit where it is due. Dufflet‘s scones (with black currants) are the best in the City and I have tried several. They are buttery, firm yet crumbly – just savoury and sweet enough. High Tea is not so without the perfect scone and this is clotted crème de la crème of its like in the City.
Sandwiches of both the Cucumber and Smoked Salmon varieties were portioned generously, the former refreshing with just the right amount of cream cheese, the latter just perfect with a thin sliver of the fish.
Dufflet favourites like the Dacquoise Cappucino Minis, Dacquoise Hazelnut Praline Minis would make a requisite appearance alongside some other Petit Fours and delightfully-chewy sourced Macarons.
The Tea Service is high on quality and value, priced comfortably under the $20 mark. Learn more here about store hours and location.
Perhaps the greatest part of our experience was getting to know and spend time with Rosenberg herself, who had earlier been at a gym class. I learned all about her beloved adopted Tabby cat and her affinity for eating out – just like us she loves to make simple things on occasion, but she’s busy and prefers it when others cook for her! She happens to love Chinese food and it was amazing swapping recommendations with her. Despite enjoying a cuppa occasionally, we both are die-hard coffee lovers and if given the choice of Macaron or a slice of cake, we both agree…. CAKE.
We’re practically twins.
See some Snaps:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#FOOD: ENTER TO EXPERIENCE A CAKE BY DUFFLET PASTRIES
Dufflet Pastries has stamped itself a Toronto institution since 1975 and for years we’ve adored their cakes. The child of Queen of Cake® Dufflet Rosenberg was birthed out of her v. own kitchen, eventually shaping our ideas of Cakes and Pastries. If you’ve visited a local upscale grocers like Longo’s or Whole Foods, you probably already have tasted their greatness without even realizing it. Their three cafe locations across Canada (Yonge + Eglinton, Queen + Bathurst and Queen + Woodbine) continue to thrive and if you were to ask me where to get the perfect Birthday Cake, you would be hard pressed to find a more established, trustworthy bakery in the City.
Whether it be Billy‘s first Birthday Cake (a Raspberry Vanilla Charlotte), a Vanilla Layer Cake for my first Album Release party, a Pink Velvet which I pop by occasionally for an individual slice… or my all time favourite, or their Lemon Coconut Cake, Dufflet has and will be a part of our future celebrations and life milestones to come.
Take a walk down memory lane with us!
Right in time for Easter, Dufflet Pastries soon will introduce its new menu offerings. How do these sound?
LIME COCONUT MOUSSE MINIS
MANGO RASPBERRY MOUSSE MINIS
SPRING BASKET CAKE
SEASONAL BUTTER SHAPE COOKIES
Sorry (not sorry!) to get you salivating!
The Queen of Cake® and Movie Prince of Toronto join together to give Readers in the Greater Toronto Area a chance to win a $45 Gift Card to experience a cake by the one and only Dufflet Pastries! Dufflet has been there with us through thick and thin and we want it to be part of your memories too!
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook! Click “share” from there for an extra chance or Tweet the below:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/dufflet @MRWILLW wants us to #win a $45 Gift Card to experience a Cake by @TourDeDufflet!
G’luck.
Visit Dufflet Pastries for more.
“Like” Dufflet Pastries on Facebook!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com