Some potential customers have the mistaken impression that because it has a French name, the restaurant must be formal and expensive, even though C’est Tout is much closer to a bistro in Provence than a stuffy Paris restaurant, Fortin said. Others shy away because they don’t know how to pronounce the name, the chef-owner said. (It’s “Say-Too.”)
The restaurant’s new menu will be “more American, but with a French flair,” Fortin said. It will incorporate more organic ingredients, will include some gluten-free dishes, and will add Sunday brunch service, he said.
A renovation project scheduled for Memorial Day weekend will freshen up the bar and the entrance to the restaurant, and will make it both more modern and more casual, Fortin said. The changes are expected to take effect the first week of June, Fortin said.
Fortin grew up in Chartres, France, and worked in restaurants in Paris, London, New York City and Chicago before he came to Dayton to succeed l’Auberge co-founder Dieter Krug as executive chef of the now-defunct Kettering restaurant. He left l’Auberge to launch C’est Tout in 2003.
The fine-dining category of the restaurant industry, which included l’Auberge, has struggled in recent years, while more casual dining concepts have boosted sales and attracted new competitors.
Dominique’s Bistro & Bar will serve lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. It will be closed Sunday and Monday nights.
For more information, call (937) 298-0022 or go to CestToutBistro.com.
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