Carmel's 90-minute parking limits are just right for lunch. The host was standing outside. The good mood thus spread to at least two more people. The host, who turns out to be a friend of owner Gaston Georis, took us through the quaint little house with its warren of tiny rooms and back to the tree-centered wooden patio. Colorful tiles and plates dress up the surrounding stucco wall.
Flowers do the rest.
Heat lamps stand ready, and it's partially covered. Only in a severe downpour would the garden not work. Several kinds of cured and brined olives arrived quickly, with focaccia, bread sticks and a luscious sun-dried tomato tapenade. Casanova recently won Wine Spectator's highest award for the 10th year in a row. The 35,000-bottle cellar, dug 14 feet under the restaurant, offers good local, French and Italian choices by the glass.