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154-155 Food for Thought_Layout 1 10/23/13 9:25 PM Page 1 food for thought Casanova's Changes, Gumbo in Big Sur and Creative Thai Cuisine Photo: Kelli Uldall B Y L A R RY H A R L A N D Casanova Restaurant Chef Johnny DeVivo at MEarth on the grounds of Carmel Middle School, where he sources fresh organic produce for his seasonal creations at Casanova. DeVivo, who used to work for Hyatt, recently joined the restaurant. TWEAKING BELOVED CASANOVA traditional way of doing business," Georis says. encouraged me to put my stamp on things." philosophy, and it's served him well the last 68 culinary freedom but staying within certain edgy fig & pig, a mélange of fresh and grilled figs, music, fashion, design, painting, photography In the end, Georis chose intuition over tradi- with olive oil emulsion and Minus 8 vinegar. Walter Georis embraces a change-or-die years, reaching the pinnacle of success in How would they mix it up, providing a chef parameters? and winemaking. tion, contemporary over time-honored. The set by so many? The owner (with brother Gaston) of chef-wunderkind John Cox, 30, introduced a But how do you change a restaurant beloved of Carmel's iconic Casanova once tried to take its signature gnocchi off the menu…and became buried in hate mail. menu disappeared two years ago, and the hiring seasonal approach, sourcing and foraging topquality ingredients. Cox jumped down the coast to Post Ranch For decades, Casanova ignored the idea of Inn, and Georis filled those chef shoes with mula that featured a family-style menu of rustic, "They've allowed me to be creative and push nouvelle cuisine, clinging to a tried-and-true forregional fare from France and Italy. "We were challenged by the fact we had a 154 C ARMEL M AG A Z I N E • H O L I D AY another young innovator, Johnny DeVivo, 35. myself," says DeVivo, who came from the more restrictive corporate world of Hyatt. "They 2013 Now next to gnocchi Casanova is DeVivo's speck, fennel, and housemade ricotta drizzled DeVivo's duck carpaccio is a three-way expression of the bird; cured breast, cured egg and duck prosciutto topped with lemon powder and mint vinaigrette. Georis loves the results. "If it's just a business then it has a lifespan," he says. "If it's a passion and you always re-evaluate what you're doing, then it can live on." Casanova Restaurant is located at 5th and Mission in downtown Carmel. 831/625-0501 or www.casanovarestaurant.com.