Chez Anas

Chez Anas

552 Rue de l'Église 

Verdun, Montreal, QC

This is not a review. This is a call to arms...well, in terms of restaurant-going. I walked in here and walked myself up to the owner and asked,

"Excusez-moi, est-ce qu'il y a terrasse en haut?" Is there a patio above?

You see, I was across the street about to go into Parisa for some Iranian food when I turned around and saw this cabana of a terrasse. If this were the middle of a desert I'd assume it was a mirage, but no, this is Verdun. There are no oases (plural of oasis...) in Verdun.

...And yet, there is a second story straw and umbrella-topped patio. It belongs to a French-ish, Fusion-ish restaurant called Chez Anas. It's owned by one man, Anas, who is reputed to be very artist-friendly (and in general, not just to the the bohemian type). His menu is all home-made and the only online complaint I've seen is that it's a bit expensive for what it is. Soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch, and chicken, game and pasta for supper. Emphasis on the game (rabbit, bison), also apparently. If I remember correctly it's fusion-ish because of some of the sauces, such as some Thai-inspired pasta sauces and some Spanish tapas-like offerings. The rest seemed pretty standard French (duck leg and snails, even). You can assume that pan sauces get reduced and there's butter involved, especially in the menu items that end with an accent aigu. There's even a very Quebec tarte a sucre (sugar pie...diabetic nightmare but Quebecois dreams are made of these...). It's BYOB, so at least when you pay $30 for a home-made meal you're really getting your money's worth. Who's going to make their own snails? 

Chez Anas
Where: 552 Rue de l'Église
Expect To Pay: $10-$17 for lunch, $20-$35 for dinner, including tax and tip (It's BYOB)
514-769-0658