Introducing: CC Lounge, a new Prohibition-themed bar near St. Lawrence Market
(Image: Renée Suen)
Name: CC Lounge
Neighbourhood: St. Lawrence
Contact Info: 45 Front St. E. , 416-362-4777, cconfront.com
Owner: The St. Lawrence Bunch, a business partnership fronted by Costa Kosilos
Head Chef: Brent Richardson, formerly of Glas Wine Bar, La Carnita and Beerbistro
The Food: The menu is heavy on share-friendly versions of old favourites, like mac n’ cheese topped with crushed Goldfish crackers and kale, and fried quail on bacon pancakes. For the real carnivores, there’s also a 12-ounce bone-in aged ribeye that comes on a wood cutting board with a dollop of whiskey ketchup.
The Drink: Befitting the Prohibition theme, the bar is focused on Canadian whiskeys served neat, as a flight or by the bottle. There’s also a long list of cocktails, both classic and new-fangled. Many of them, like the Caramilk-liqueur-flavoured Micky Finn, are mixed with generous helpings of Wiser’s.
The Place: CC Lounge’s owners have transformed their space in the historic Beardmore Building, formerly home to the Nicholas Hoare bookstore, into two 1920s-themed areas: an entrance lounge filled with leather-clad couches and crystal chandeliers mounted at impossible-seeming angles, and a moody bar at the rear equipped with a DJ booth, dangling disco balls and high-top tables made from whiskey barrels. Lounge staff host tastings in the J.P. Wiser Whiskey Tunnel, a bottle-lined cellar that’s supposed to be reminiscent of the underground smuggling routes used by the likes of Al Capone.
303519 The lounge is located in what used to be the Nicholas Hoare bookstore. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-1-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-1.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-1/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-1 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303520 Flapper girls and guys in cocktail suits dance in the cage. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-2-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-2.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-2/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-2 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303521 Everything that can be made out of a whiskey barrel IS made out of a whiskey barrel. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-3-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-3.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-3/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-3 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303522 Here's the selection at one of the bars. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-4-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-4.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-4/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-4 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303523 Here's the rear bar, with thematically appropriate newspaper headlines on the TVs behind the counter. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-5-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-5.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-5/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-5 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303524 The whiskey tunnel is where tastings happen. There are quite a few bottles to choose from. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-6-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-6.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-6/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-6 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303525 The Mickey Finn's main ingredients are spiced Wiser's and Caramilk liqueur ($13). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-7-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-7.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-7/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-7 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303526 Here's CC Lounge's take on the Whiskey Sour ($11). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-8-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-8.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-8/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-8 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303527 The Kitten Cocktail is vodka mixed with pomegranate and raspberry liqueurs, topped with champagne ($13). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-9-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-9.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-9/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-9 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303528 CC Lounge's take on chicken and waffles subs out the chicken for quail and the waffles for pancakes ($21). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-10.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-10/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-10 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303529 Chicken wings with seasonal sauce and blue cheese aioli will set you back $15. (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-11-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-11.jpg 1024 835 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-11/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-11 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303530 It's hard to go wrong with steak frites. CC Lounge's version comes with whiskey ketchup ($26). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-12-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-12.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-12/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-12 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303532 A spread of fruit, cheese and chocolate designed for whiskey pairing ($16). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-14-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-14.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-14/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-14 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
303531 This mac and cheese is topped with crumbled Goldfish crackers ($16). (Image: Renée Suen) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-13-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-13.jpg 1024 683 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-cc-lounge-new-prohibition-themed-bar-near-st-lawrence-market/slide/cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-13/ cc-lounge-st-lawrence-toronto-restaurants-13 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
Should be spelled “Whisky” without an “e”.
The difference between whiskey and whisky is simple but important: whisky usually denotes Scotch whisky and Scotch-inspired liquors, and whiskey denotes the Irish and American liquors.
Canadian whiskey is also spelled without the “e”.
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