{"id":16660,"date":"2012-07-15T09:50:25","date_gmt":"2012-07-15T15:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660"},"modified":"2026-04-06T09:54:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:54:06","slug":"casanova-restaurant-carmel-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660","title":{"rendered":"Casanova Restaurant – Carmel, California"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Casanova Restaurant, the most romantic restaurant in Carmel, California<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For they could not love you <\/em>
\nBut still your love was true <\/em>
\nAnd when no hope was left inside <\/em>
\nOn that starry, starry night <\/em>
\nYou took your life as lovers often do <\/em>
\nBut I could have told you, Vincent <\/em>
\nThis world was never meant <\/em>
\nFor one as beautiful as you<\/em>
\n~Don McLean<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

When Vincent van Gogh painted \u201cThe Starry Night<\/em>\u201d depicting the view of a swirling night sky from the window of his room at the sanatorium R\u00e9my-de-Provence, there’s no way he could possibly have known that its fame would be spread by the heart-rending lyrics of a song.\u00a0 In 1970, his painting was immortalized in pop culture on the refrain to Don McLean’s 1970 poignant Vincent<\/em>.\u00a0 Throughout his 37 year life, van Gogh’s “suffering for his sanity” was exacerbated by the fact that his work and lifestyle were more widely criticized than they were recognized.<\/span><\/p>\n

van Gogh spent the last seventy days of his life as a tenant at the Auberge Ravoux, a country inn in a small village some\u00a0 22 miles northwest of Paris.\u00a0 The Auberge Ravoux was a favorite among Dutch and American painters and still attracts art enthusiasts from throughout the world.\u00a0 It also continues to offer traditional food, the type of which van Gogh himself would have enjoyed nearly a century and a quarter ago.\u00a0 In 2001, the\u00a0 book\u00a0 Van Gogh’s Table at the Auberge Ravoux<\/a><\/em> was published as a tribute to the painter’s life and the many cafes and restaurants he enjoyed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Al fresco dining amidst flowers at Casanova<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

van Gogh’s table, the one on which he enjoyed so many meals, now has a home in a private dining room at Casanova Restaurant in Carmel, California.\u00a0 The table’s presence at Casanova marks a cultural exchange between two artistic communities and two world famous restaurants.\u00a0 It’s one of the most romantic aspects of a restaurant long\u00a0 considered the most romantic restaurant in Carmel-by-the-sea, a city world renowned for its European charm and architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps there may be nothing intrinsically romantic about a simple wooden table, but when you consider that the great painter probably sat there and lamented the many failed romantic pursuits of his life, there’s a Shakespearean quality romantic tragedy in there somewhere.\u00a0 Most of us can relate to unrequited love, if not to the utter devastation of a bad break-up.\u00a0 Sometimes not even a great meal at a high quality restaurant can quell the ardor of love gone wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
A basket of bread and sun-dried tomato tapenade<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Without a doubt Carmel-by-the-sea is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the Golden State. How else can you explain why the legendary Hollywood transplant Clint Eastwood, the most macho of macho movie stars, both directed and took the lead role in the torrid romance Bridges of Madison County<\/em>?\u00a0 He was undoubtedly inspired by living in (and once having served as mayor of) Carmel. Eastwood’s Carmel restaurant, the Hog’s Head Inn<\/a>, by the way, is a veritable shrine to the old west and his spaghetti westerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carmel-by-the-sea has also earned a reputation as the \u201cpet friendliest\u201d town in America,” thanks in no small part to America’s sweetheart Doris Day, a Carmel resident who left Hollywood to dedicate her life to the protection of four-legged children. For my good friend and culinary kindred spirit Sandy Driscoll<\/a>, the combination of\u00a0 pet friendliness (she’s the best dog trainer in Los Angeles), a romantic ambiance and outstanding food make Casanova a must-stop during her visits to Central California.\u00a0 She and her handsome doberman Gunner have dined at Casanova on many occasions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Gnocchi Casanova: light spinach dumplings, parmesan, \u2018au gratin\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Almost anywhere else in America, Casanova would seem out-of-place, perhaps as an architectural anomaly. \u00a0 It’s almost antithetical to any restaurant in another renowned romantic city, Santa Fe, whose architectural standards and city ordinances mandate such uniformity as to make the “City Different” a model of adobe-hued homogeneity.\u00a0 Instead, Casanova fits in precisely because it is different, but then so are so many other “storybook cottages<\/a>” throughout the city.\u00a0 Architectural styles range from California Mission Revival to Tudor, Gothic and Spanish.\u00a0 Viva la difference!<\/span><\/p>\n

Casanova is a converted home made to resemble the restaurant owner’s family’s old farm-house in Belgium.\u00a0 The restaurant both resembles and pays tribute to the great cafes throughout Europe with meticulous attention to detail at every turn.\u00a0 Both its architectural style and decor are widely imitated and have influenced numerous other restaurants and private homes in Carmel and beyond.\u00a0 If you’ve ever traveled the European countryside, your first glance will transport you across the Atlantic where quaint cottages often double as cafes and meals are slowly paced to allow for great conversation to couple with great food and coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Selection of House-Made Charcuterie: pickled vegetables & Roman mustard<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Casanova Restaurant wasn’t solely a trend-setter architecturally.\u00a0 Several facets of the dining experience we all take for granted today had their genesis at Casanova. If you enjoy flavored dipping oil for bread, you can thank\u00a0 Casanova for having introduced that now de rigueur concept in the 1980s.\u00a0 Appreciate fresh pasta?\u00a0 Casanova was one of the first restaurants to make their own pasta, transforming a spaghetti and macaroni favoring public to one which appreciated fettuccine and linguini, too.\u00a0 Casanova pioneered serving cafe au lait and lattes in large French country bowls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of its cool Mediterranean climate, there may be no better milieu for al fresco dining\u00a0 than Casanova, especially if you like to dine with your canine children.\u00a0 The outdoor patio abounds in green plants and colorful flowers and is well shaded by assiduous trees.\u00a0 A basket with bundles of fragrant lavender sits on a wooden bench on the walkway to the restaurant.\u00a0 Old-fashioned oil cloth tablecloths festoon the tables.\u00a0 Menus can be plucked out of the basket on the handlebars of a vintage bicycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Roasted Lamb Chops: Umbrian ceci bean ragout & marinated favas<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dinner menu is an homage to ingredients sourced locally from small farms and producers, the essence of “California cuisine.”\u00a0 For someone who’s spent too much time and effort eating (and cursing) the flavors of “homemade” foods sourced from Sysco or Shamrock and served in restaurants throughout New Mexico, dining on garden-fresh vegetables and fruits is a little piece of heaven–even without green chile.\u00a0 The menu is relatively small, graced by only eight Hors D\u2019Oeuvres, six small plate fruits de mer (seafood starters), eight entrees and two Plats Pour Deux (plates for two).\u00a0 The menu showcases seafood, Italian, French cuisine prepared in the California style which emphasizes freshness and quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s only fitting that the restaurant which pioneered flavored dipping oil for bread would excel at both.\u00a0 The dipping oil during our inaugural visit was a summery sun-dried tomato tapenade redolent with pungent California olives.\u00a0 It’s an excellent tapenade, the type of which you immerse as much as your bread as will fit in the bowl so you can sop up as much tapenade as possible.\u00a0 The staff of life served with the tapenade included a hard-crusted baguette, an egg-washed Gruyere cheese bread and several hard-crusted breadsticks.\u00a0 It’s a terrific triumvirate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Linguini alla Scapesce: lobster, clams, mussels & shrimp with white wine, Meyer lemon, chervil & cre\u0300me frai\u0302che<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve often lamented the fact that appetizers at some restaurants outshine all their entrees.\u00a0 That’s almost<\/em> the case at Casanova where we could not possibly have conceived of an introduction nearly as superb as the Gnocchi Casanova<\/em>, light spinach dumplings baked with a topping of rich parmesan.\u00a0 At almost any other restaurant, this appetizer would have been the best dish on the entire menu (and it nearly was at Casanova).\u00a0 Each gnocchi is roughly the size of a marshmallow.\u00a0 Bite into the light, delicate exterior and you’re rewarded with a sensual eruption of flavor punctuated by the rich sharpness of unctuous cheese.\u00a0 There is little of the astringency often found in spinach, because the soft and pillowy deliciousness is so well complemented by the creaminess of the cheese.<\/span><\/p>\n

The restaurant’s selection of housemade Charcuterie<\/em>, pickled vegetables and Roman mustard is another superb starter.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t so much the haute cuisine of France\u2019s grand, elegant restaurants which won my heart during frequent visits to France in the 1980s, but the more simple family fare\u2013bread, cheeses and meats.\u00a0 In France, as in much of Europe, the ancient culinary art of charcuterie is still highly revered and well-practiced.\u00a0 Charcuterie refers to the products made and sold in a delicatessen-style shop, also called a charcuterie.\u00a0 The operative word here is \u201cmade\u201d as in butchering, cutting, salting, curing, slicing, storing and preparing such meat products such as bacon, sausage, ham, pates, and more.\u00a0 Casanova’s charcuterie plate showcases spek (a smoked and salted bacon), wild boar sausage, bresaola (air-dried, salted beef), pickled vegetables, edible flowers, grainy Roman mustard and cornichons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Three scoops of housemade ice cream: lavender-vanilla, chocolate and Armagnac with blueberries, strawberries and blackberries<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Casanova lets your senses feast on mouth-watering entrees and sumptuous dining experiences you can only have replicated in a past life. Perhaps not since Burford, England have I had lamb chops quite as good as the roasted lamb chops<\/em> at Casanova.\u00a0 Lamb chops are the specialty of the house and it’s easy to see why.\u00a0 These aren’t the desiccated and waifishly thin “lollipop” lamb chops served at most restaurants.\u00a0 Casanova’s chops are thick and meaty with a profusion of juices at medium rare (the level of doneness recommended by the chef).\u00a0 Nor is the flavor of these lamb chops obfuscated by sauces.\u00a0 These lamb chops are\u00a0 seasoned so that there’s a nice “crust” on their exterior, but they’re not overly salted.\u00a0 They’re also not gamey as some lamb entrees tend to be.\u00a0 They’re simply some of the very best lamb chops I’ve had in three continents.\u00a0 The lamb chops are served with Umbrian ceci bean ragout & marinated favas, neither of which would ordinarily have been my choices.\u00a0 These are no ordinary vegetables, however.\u00a0 They’re fresh and crisp with the flavor of freshness.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Linguini alla Scapesce<\/em> (lobster, clams, mussels and shrimp with white wine, Meyer lemon, chervil & cre\u0300me fraiche) is nearly the equal of the lamb chops.\u00a0 The seafood ingredients have the flavor and freshness of just having been extricated from a net and prepared within minutes.\u00a0 The linguini is perfectly al dente.\u00a0 Gloriously long noodles only propriety will prevent you from slurping will remind you they’re made on the premises and not sourced off some store shelf or delivery truck.\u00a0 The chervil (a mild herb related to parsley) and creme fraiche sauce is applied parsimoniously as it’s done in Italy where the appreciation of a great pasta is akin to a religious experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Tarte aux Bananes: Banana tartlet, graham cracker crust, vanilla custard, caramelized bananas, vanilla whipped cream & caramel sauce<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If dessert is a sweet prelude to romance, Casanova has several sweet treats designed to get you in the mood–to lick the plates so that you don’t miss a morsel.\u00a0 One option is three scoops of housemade ice cream<\/em> in flavors you might not find elsewhere such as lavender-vanilla, chocolate and Armagnac with blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.\u00a0 The ice cream is rich, creamy and sinfully decadent with each flavor bursting out as a paragon of the named ingredient.\u00a0 The lavender-vanilla exudes the essential oil flavor profile of memory evoking sweetness.\u00a0 The Armagnac (a French brandy) is studded with figs and is oh, so delicious.\u00a0 The chocolate is simply outstanding, a not-too-sweet, adult chocolate.<\/span><\/p>\n

One dessert you might not want to share even with a loved one is the tarte aux bananes<\/em>, a banana tartlet crafted on a graham cracker crust atop of which lie vanilla custard, caramelized bananas and vanilla whipped cream with a caramel sauce drizzled throughout the plate.\u00a0 The caramelized bananas are sliced dime-thin and will remind you of the caramelized sugars on the top layer of a cr\u00e8me brulee. This is a simple dessert with complex flavor combinations that resonate on your taste buds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casanova is a restaurant which lives up to its name. The cuisine is outstanding, well-seasoned and beautifully presented. Service is impeccable. Your four-legged children will love it, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Casanova Restaurant <\/strong>
\nFifth Avenue between San Carlos & Mission
\nCarmel, California<\/strong>
\n(831) 625-6731
\nWeb Site<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 15 July 2012
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$$ – $$$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Gnocchi Casanova, Tarte aux Bananes, Selection of House-Made Charcuterie, Linguini alla Scapesce, Roasted Lamb Chops, Housemade Ice Cream <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For they could not love you But still your love was true And when no hope was left inside On that starry, starry night You took your life as lovers often do But I could have told you, Vincent This world was never meant For one as beautiful as you ~Don McLean When Vincent van Gogh painted \u201cThe Starry Night\u201d depicting the view of a swirling night sky from the window of his room at the sanatorium R\u00e9my-de-Provence, there’s no way he could possibly have known that its fame would be spread by the heart-rending lyrics of a song.\u00a0 In 1970, his painting was immortalized in pop culture on the refrain to Don McLean’s 1970 poignant Vincent.\u00a0 Throughout his 37…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,11,5647,553],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california","category-continental","category-rating-n-r","category-across-america"],"yoast_head":"\nCasanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Casanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For they could not love you But still your love was true And when no hope was left inside On that starry, starry night You took your life as lovers often do But I could have told you, Vincent This world was never meant For one as beautiful as you ~Don McLean When Vincent van Gogh painted \u201cThe Starry Night\u201d depicting the view of a swirling night sky from the window of his room at the sanatorium R\u00e9my-de-Provence, there’s no way he could possibly have known that its fame would be spread by the heart-rending lyrics of a song.\u00a0 In 1970, his painting was immortalized in pop culture on the refrain to Don McLean’s 1970 poignant Vincent.\u00a0 Throughout his 37…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"475\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"365\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gil Garduno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\"},\"headline\":\"Casanova Restaurant – Carmel, California\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660\"},\"wordCount\":2169,\"commentCount\":4,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/07\\\/Casanova06.gif\",\"articleSection\":[\"California\",\"Continental\",\"Rating: N\\\/R (Not Rated)\",\"United States\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660\",\"name\":\"Casanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/07\\\/Casanova06.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/07\\\/Casanova06.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/07\\\/Casanova06.gif\",\"width\":475,\"height\":365},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?p=16660#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Casanova Restaurant – Carmel, California\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"description\":\"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf\",\"name\":\"Gil Garduno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Gil Garduno\"},\"description\":\"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/%20\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/nmgastronome\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.nmgastronome.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Casanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Casanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","og_description":"For they could not love you But still your love was true And when no hope was left inside On that starry, starry night You took your life as lovers often do But I could have told you, Vincent This world was never meant For one as beautiful as you ~Don McLean When Vincent van Gogh painted \u201cThe Starry Night\u201d depicting the view of a swirling night sky from the window of his room at the sanatorium R\u00e9my-de-Provence, there’s no way he could possibly have known that its fame would be spread by the heart-rending lyrics of a song.\u00a0 In 1970, his painting was immortalized in pop culture on the refrain to Don McLean’s 1970 poignant Vincent.\u00a0 Throughout his 37…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660","og_site_name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","article_published_time":"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":475,"height":365,"url":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif","type":"image\/gif"}],"author":"Gil Garduno","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gil Garduno","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660"},"author":{"name":"Gil Garduno","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf"},"headline":"Casanova Restaurant – Carmel, California","datePublished":"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660"},"wordCount":2169,"commentCount":4,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif","articleSection":["California","Continental","Rating: N\/R (Not Rated)","United States"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660","name":"Casanova Restaurant - Carmel, California - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif","datePublished":"2012-07-15T15:50:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T15:54:06+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Casanova06.gif","width":475,"height":365},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=16660#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Casanova Restaurant – Carmel, California"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","description":"Follow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico's Sesquipedalian Sybarite. 1,522 Restaurant Reviews, More Than 14,900 Visitor Comments...And Counting!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#organization","name":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/#\/schema\/person\/423b9c3eeeb199e43ab4f1f584fa67bf","name":"Gil Garduno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/140571d25459ad5954bce10ffc2f8c8d21c92edf345ea30e6145c3e68a417af1?s=96&r=pg","caption":"Gil Garduno"},"description":"Since 2008, the tagline on Gil\u2019s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog has invited you to \u201cFollow the Culinary Ruminations of New Mexico\u2019s Sesquipedalian Sybarite.\u201d To date, more than six million visitors have trusted (or at least visited) my recommendations on more than 1,300 restaurant reviews. Please take a few minutes to tell me what you think. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I'd love to hear about it.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/%20","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nmgastronome\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nmgastronome\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16660"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67435,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16660\/revisions\/67435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}