Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/856465
266 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 "We've brought her in once or more per year, consistently over the past 30 years," he says. The diminutive 5-foot-something artist got up on scaffolding, sometimes late at night after the restaurant closed, as recently as this past May, when a brand-new handful of regulars made it onto the "Wall of Fame." The largest painting is of Betty Boop wearing a Rio Grill button on her garter belt. Among her cartoon cohorts are the Pink Panther, Fred Flintstone, Miss Piggy, Oscar the Grouch, Garfield, Spiderman, and a favorite American couple, Dagwood and Blondie. Some locals appear as couples while others stand, or sit, or swing a golf club alone. Bing Crosby, Allen Funt and Doris Day—who was once a frequent Rio regular—are in the company of Clint Eastwood holding a bottle in a paper bag, John Travolta, and Reggie Jackson, whose likenesses can be found on different walls surrounding the bar/dining area, where happy hour has become legendary. Several happy hour regulars are up on the wall, as are regulars who come in at other routine times. There are even a few dogs up there. "Sarah's not on the wall but her dog Oscar is," says bartender Jason Gahn, "and he comes with her every time and stays on his leash, sitting outside the front door." Sarah Osborne has known Tollner her entire life, and when he offered her a spot on the wall, about two years ago, she nominated her Siberian Husky Oscar instead. His portrait went up right near the entrance just a year ago, while the real Oscar sits outside and is greeted by all the regulars he's come to befriend.