Casa Piccola... I’d heard the name many times when I was in college. I thought it would be a very fancy restaurant that I’d never be able to afford... simply because a very well to do cousin always spoke about it.
A few years later, I moved to Bangalore. And my office had to be on Cunningham Road, just down the road from Casa’s. I would look at the restaurant rather longingly, wondering what the place would be like, what kind of food they’d serve, and when I’d be able to afford eating there. A different cousin (a student then) decided to treat me for her birthday and since I only got half an hour for lunch, she picked Casa’s... so I could eat and go right back to work. My affair with Casa’s began that very day. It did seem a little expensive then, but what the heck... what use is one’s money if one can’t enjoy the small pleasures of life.
I moved out of Bangalore shortly after and went to live in the then not as hip and happening Gurgaon! I moved to Madras after a couple of years and then started visiting Bangalore often. During each trip, one meal had to be at Casa’s. Over the years, I’ve had their pastas, pizzas, casseroles, fritters, vol-au-vents, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, and absolutely yummy sinful desserts. The sheer variety that the place has on offer is amazing.
I’ve not tried the non vegetarian items on their menu, but am told the stuff is really good. I’ve tried almost everything else, and have never really come back disappointed.
Having moved back to Bangalore 6 months ago, I somehow never found the time to head to Casa’s. It seemed like I visited the place more often when I lived outside Bangalore. And then a friend visited from out of town. I just had to take him to a nice place and show him the real Bangalore... the Bangalore that I knew and spoke about. We reached Casa’s late at night and the waiter told me to order before he stopped taking orders. This was one time that I actually just picked stuff at random... no time to read. But everything that we ordered was fantastic. After that, I’ve been pretty regular.
What do I like most about Casa’s: the food, the semi-casual ambience, Raga’s next door (where you can pick up Tantra T-shirts and little trinkets among other things), part indoor and part outdoor seating... the mere fact that I can treat the place like an extension of home. Sometimes, the service isn’t very good, sometimes the place is so crowded that you can’t find a table, but the food has never been disappointing.
Today the food is truly affordable. I’ve found that the price of their items hasn’t gone up all that much. A meal for two would cost around Rs. 250. Given all this, I’m hooked for life. It has been an affair to remember!