Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/856465
Rio Grill's Wall of Fame Carmel Restaurant Honor s Its Regular s With Their Likenesses Since 1993 B Y V A N J A T H O M P S O N • P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K E L L I U L D A L L I nhabitants of the 100-year-old City of Carmel have a solid record of documenting and rallying to commemorate its beginnings, its own rel- atively young history and its residents. That tradition is alive and well at Rio Grill in the Carmel Crossroads, where locals have been memorial- ized on the colorful bar area walls since the popular restaurant opened its doors 34 years ago. The walls are covered with famous cartoon characters and caricatures of celebrities and locals —and, of course, local celebrities. One character has the distinction of being all three—a cartoon, a celebrity, and a local. Overhanging the barstools is Dennis the Menace, depicted seated at a bar with a martini in hand, telling Mr. Wilson, "Listen, George…stop calling me kid, I was born in 1950." Dennis the Menace creator Hank Ketcham, who was a longtime Carmel resi dent and lived here when he first penned the comic strip, named after his then 4-year-old son, gave his permission for the mural. "Archie and the other characters were the first to go up around 1984, and they were painted by Rich Guerrero," says owner Tony Tollner, who planned the wall from the beginning, and has worked with several painters over the years. He says artist Eleanor Barrows, now in her 70s, painted most of the portraits. 264 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 7 The Rio Grill restaurant is beloved by locals and visitors to the Carmel area. Besides the popular menu by Chef Cy Yontz, a big draw is the bar area which is decorated with caricatures of frequent diners, cartoon characters and celebrities.