The Scandi-esque fit-out at Casanova’s is thoughtful and welcoming. Photo: Tenele Conway.
It takes immense skill and restraint to make complexity look simple, and no one does it better than Casanova’s, a cafe and bakery located in the heritage town of Braidwood.
Tucked away just behind the shops of Wallace Street on the well-worn Canberra-to-Coast trail, it’s the sort of place that has a word-of-mouth following that over the years has become a little cult-like.
You don’t have to look far for proof of their reputation. Shopkeepers instinctively point hungry visitors towards Casanova’s, and both Canberrans and coast-dwellers swap stories of the sourdough they never miss picking up on the drive through. It has an intangible draw that will see you come back time and again and have you telling everyone about it.
Inside their heritage doors you’ll find a thoughtful and welcoming space.
The original ceiling beams have been removed to make way for a vaulted ceiling. Half-curtained windows let in the long afternoon light. The polished concrete floors bring industrial chic to the otherwise timber fit-out, and the unkillable houseplant pothos dotted on the shelves scream a love of greenery paired with a tentative commitment to maintaining indoor plant life, a trick that more cafes should take note of.
Casanova’s has built quite the reputation for their seasonal menu and fresh-baked goods. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Alongside the Scandi-esque fit-out, there’s a display of like-minded cookbooks focusing on simplicity, a cabinet filled with tempting golden pastries and a 70s soundtrack best summed up as uplifting nostalgia that all accumulates into a clear ethos of effortless perfection.
Sitting down to a bowl of broccoli soup on my recent visit, I was swept up in Casanova’s carefully crafted experience, and before I lose you at broccoli, let me tell you why you should keep reading.
Broccoli isn’t really my thing; it conjures soggy textures of times gone by that I’d rather forget. Yet the team at Casanova’s, headed up by owners Joe Lawrence and Jacqui Casanova, know a thing or two about broccoli.
The first thing is that it’s seasonal and should be served at its best during our wonderfully chilly winters.
Second, nobody, especially not Casanova’s, puts broccoli in the corner; it’s the hero of the dish here, and the accompanying flavours of gorgonzola, which is mixed through the soup itself, and the house-made sourdough are there to play their part in what they know is a broccoli party.
The broccoli soup heroes the winter veg and takes the flavours up a level with gorgonzola and crusty sourdough. Photo: Tenele Conway.
If you’re still not convinced, shall we talk cauliflower? Or maybe pumpkin, lentils or hazelnuts are your thing? If any of those strike a chord, you’re in luck; they all appear on the current winter menu, which comes together as a real celebration of the season.
There’s a reason that produce is so respected at Casanova’s, and that’s because they grow much of it themselves, an undertaking that fits with their philosophy of doing as much as possible from scratch.
If you’re still hesitant on the winter vegetable front, there is a sourdough pizza menu made on gorgeously puffy handmade sourdough bases. The current flavours lean into rich Italian meats with tomato-based prosciutto and salami pizzas, or you can go vegetarian with the spinach, mozzarella, feta, preserved lemon, ricotta and pine nuts.
Sipping my brewed chai with a belly full of broccoli, singing emanates from the open kitchen as a staff member harmonises to Fleetwood Mac. It’s one of those little moments that reminds you the best hospitality can’t be manufactured; it has to be genuine and from the heart, and that’s what Casanova’s has in spades.
Casanova’s is located at 68 Wallace Street, Braidwood. They’re open Monday until Saturday from 8 am until 2 pm and for dinner on Fridays from 5 pm until 8 pm.
Original Article published by Tenele Conway on Region Canberra.
