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PodcastsiTune in
We have already featured Jerry Leger & The Situation, The Ory No, The Flints, Alun Pigguns, The Donefors, Public, Capital Grass, The No Men and many more in our first four episodes. Tune in and hear the stars of tomorrow, today. Memories Of What?C'est story winner
"My name is Ian. On March 17, 2006 I responded to a "smile" from Eleanor on LavaLife. Our e-mails conversations, and subsequent phone conversations showed us to have the same goof-ball sense of humour, a love of the outdoors and physical activities, as well as many other things in common. We were so enthusiastic to meet that we did so at our first opportunity, March 20th, 2006, at C'est What. We stayed at C'est What until midnight (a couple of bottles of wine and a broken glass later) and then spent 2 hours talking in Eleanor's car. After going our separate ways, we spoke again for an hour once home and then again the next morning. We've never stopped and have been together every since and expect to be together for the rest of our lives. We are "Life Partners" and have come to believe in the old cliché "soul mates". C'est What is where is started and your establishment occupies a warm place in the hearts of both Eleanor and me." "Where there is no wine, there is no love." - Euripides Lucky C'est VingtIt was twenty years ago today...
The liquor license arrived three weeks later but the one-the-job training for the venture took a little longer. What held C'est What together that first year was a lot of hard work, generous loans from family and friends, and a vision of being a truly local establishment. A Toronto-centric pub restaurant. C'est What is the real deal. No ersatz English, Irish, Belgian, or American concepts are to be found. To this day the only faux to be found is the well-known local musician Adam Faux who moonlights as the sound tech. It wasn't an easy path to take. At the time consumers were only expecting beer that was advertised during hockey games and wine that was French, dry, and white. In our first year, when we announced that we were going exclusively with "micro" brews and Ontario wines, we were told by many that we were committing financial suicide. In retrospect, we're happy to say that being the first kid on the block has been a huge competitive advantage for us. Our take on local cuisine has found wider acceptance over the years. Finding chicken satay or falafel on a pub menu in 1988 was pretty well limited to C'est What. The idea of a menu that reflects the multi-cultural diversity of Toronto has come of age. Curried Noodles, Moroccan Stew, Chicken Roti, Tourtiere, Poutine, and Lamburgers can co-exist on one menu and compliment each other. C'est What's interest in local culture extends beyond the culinary and into the arts. Thousands of aspiring musicians have been nurtured with respect, great technical support, and a good pint. Look on the iTunes Canada top ten and you are bound to see at least one C'est What alumnae listed. We are fortunate that we arrived on the scene at a time that we would able to play a part in the success of our home grown beer, wine, and music industries. It is a source of great satisfaction to be able to make a living off doing something in which you believe. C'est Vingt FlingWhat's Brewing In Your Heart
There will be no Miami Vice re-runs but there will be 1988 pricing in effect on food and selected beverages, special one-off brews, and swag give-aways every hour. Since this all happens the day before cupid has his way, the music is following a "What's Brewing In Your Heart" theme with some of C'est What's favourite musicians, both past and present, playing songs of love and heartache throughout the evening. Confirmed performers include: Arlene Bishop, Adam Baillie (Club Treehouse), No 0ry Man, Sarah Burton, The Flints, Laura Repo, Cyrus Sundar Singh, Noah Zacharin, and Adam Faux with The Exploding Band (and guests from the various bands he is in/has been in). The fun starts at five and continues through until past midnight. No cover, pick up your invite at C'est What. Robbie Burns Island TourWhisky tasting results
The islands proved to have a great variey of flavour profiles: Sherried sweet and spicy to hickory smoked, delicate subtlety to bold and assertive. The smooth twenty-one year old Isle Of Jura finished in front of the pack but Scapa and Dun Bheagan certainly vie for the best value with scores of 22 and 21. Three bottles of the pride of Skye or one bottle of Jura's best? A tough decision, but a win-win situation. The full table of scores can be found here. New On The Menu
Big Rock Traditional Ale will return to our taps sometime this coming weekend, and some interesting things will turn up for our anniversary party on the thirteenth. Our complete beer list featuring forty-eight craft brews, is available online. All brews meet our uncompromising craft beer standards. On the wine side of things, we have added the Vineland Estate Pinot Gris 2005; available by the glass.
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MP3 players are everywhere and now, thanks to our regular podcasts, you can carry a little bit of C'est What around with you where ever you go. We are putting together highlights from all of our shows at least once a month. You can check out C'est What podcasts from our music site at 
With Valentine's Day just around the corner (curiously, now followed by Family Day) we couldn't resist giving the following story the nod for favourite C'est What memory.
It was a typical winter evening in St. Lawrence twenty years ago, on February 13, in every respect but one. C'est What opened it's doors to the public for the first time. The Saturday night line-up was forming at the Pat & Marios on the north-east corner of Front and Church and young singles were on the prowl at Brandys and The Muddy York further south at The Esplanade. None of these folks realized, at the time, that the little pub that was opening that night in the basement of 67 Front St. E. would out-live all of these popular night spots. Of course opening night at the quirkily named C'est What would not strike most people as being a sure-fire recipe for success: out of sight down a flight of stairs without a liquor license at eleven o'clock on a winter night. Unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, success did come for the iconoclastic venture.
To celebrate the occasion of our twentieth anniversary, we are throwing a big bash on Wednesday February 13, 2008.
The cynic might say that our tasters were influenced by the convivial atmosphere of our annual homage to Scotland's two most notable exports. It could also be said that having five of seven whiskies finish with scores over twenty just shows the quality of the field. Which ever way you look at it, our island tour only had a rough ride in Islay.
Just after Christmas we had a limited quantity run of Wellington Imperial Stout on cask. This was so well received that our friends in guelph are drawing of enough Iron Duke into casks to get us through until spring arrives.
