Cynthia Cheng Mintz
The latest in yummy desserts and stylish cakes has arrived in Toronto’s Leslieville area. Bobbette & Belle, owned by pastry and dessert veterans, Allyson Meredith Bobbitt and Sarah Bell, opened its doors to the public on November 13 to line-ups waiting to go in. Located on Queen Street East, two blocks east of Jones Street, the location not only includes a shop, but also a fully-equipted production kitchen to create the delectable sweets. Closer to the door, the shop also has a demonstration counter, where clients can watch staff at work, decorating delicious cakes. With all those cake-related shows on television, who wouldn’t want to see it live?
At first glance, one might think that Bobbette & Belle is a wedding cake shop, which had been Allyson’s business prior to starting Bobbette & Belle with Sarah in 2009. While wedding cakes are a focus of their business, Bobbette & Belle also serves and sells delightful squares, cookies, signature macarons (many couples are actually considering macaron trees for their weddings) as well as a small selection of sandwiches. Their desserts have been carried in several of Toronto’s finest food shops, including Pusateri’s and McEwan, for nearly two years. During the Toronto International Film Festival, their whoopie pies were featured at George Stroumboulopoulos “Made in Canada” Lounge. Their desserts were also named by Macleans magazine as one of the “Top 10 Best MOments at TIFF.” Recently, they were commissioned by a Parisian accessories designer, Luc Kieffer, to create hand-painted macarons.
What is great about the new shop is its space. There is a large open space in the middle, meaning more space and more family-friendly to those with small children in strollers. The high ceilings as well as art pieces and other objects (they have an old butter churner on one of their shelves, for example), along with their free Wi-Fi, may actually start a new trend and lifestyle. Could it mean that in the near future, we could see writers and designers hang out at pastry boutiques rather than coffee shops?
Bobbette & Belle is located on 1121 Queen Street East. Their hours are Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 am to 6 pm.
