Carmel Magazine

CHEESE AND CHAMPAGNE STAND STRONG AGAINST THE RAIN Kent Torrey believes in the adage: "When life gives you lemons, the heck with lemonade, drink Champagne." So when a devastating Mother's Day flood washed out his beloved Carmel Cheese Shop and much of its inventory, he popped a nice bottle of bubbly, opened some soggy crackers and got to work rebuilding his business — exactly the same way it's looked for 40 years inside Carmel Plaza. "The Carmel Cheese Shop is so familiar to multiple generations of customers," Torrey says. "It's funky and kitschy. If we rebuilt it slick and modern it just wouldn't be the same experience." Tourists plan itineraries around visits to the Cheese Shop, where they enjoy free samples before stuffing rounds of Italian Boschetto al Tar tuffo or wedges of French Bucheron into their return luggage. And locals know to turn to Torrey's team before planning any par ty that involves wine and/or cheese. In late June, Torrey was still spending his days working with contractors and insurance com- panies, fielding calls from wine and cheese club members, and sor ting through his salvaged inventory housed in a vacant, adjacent store. Three inches of water collapsed stacked card- board wine boxes, breaking bottles and destroy- ing labels. The water ruined the floors and the wall paneling that held pinned-up photos of happy customers over four decades. "It was a big 248 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 5 Manager Katie Glitz with Carmel Cheese Shop employees Dustin Everett, Amanda Etienne, Rachel Bennett, Hanna Schmidt, President and CEO Kent Torrey and Dan Andros. The beloved Carmel institution, known for its wine and cheese selection, survived a flood in June. Photo: Kelli Uldall food for thought The Cheese Must Go On, Creative Korean Fare at the Bar nyard and Dumping Tr ash to Save Fish B Y L A R R Y H A R L A N D

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