Brace for Venice, Casa de Mateo's Raw Replacement From Nini Meatball House

A few months after businessman Mateo Madani closed Casa de Mateo amid a cloud of mystery, the Old Montreal standby is about to get a major overhaul. Charles Manceau, a partner in Griffintown's Nini, a meatball concept, is behind the makeover of the large Saint-François-Xavier street property. The new restaurant, Venice, will serve what Manceau calls "raw and healthy food", with a "California-style menu and interior design" and a February target date.

Venice will occupy just part of the old Casa de Mateo. A next door bar and a lower level speakeasy-style bar are also in the works. "It will be two different addresses since I'm closing down the walls between the restaurant and the bar," explains Manceau, who hopes to unveil the bars by spring, or summer, at the latest.