Through the Smoke: Adele's owners discuss fire, their commitment to re-open

What's on the outside doesn't always reflect on what's going on inside. Perceptions are just that sometimes. There's usually a lot more going than meets the eye.

And that is the case with Cafe at Adele's following the March 28 fire that swept through but was mostly contained to the laundry room area of the iconic Carson City restaurant that sits on the corner of North Carson and John Street.

Fire crews responded at around 5:15 that morning to a structure fire at the restaurant following two calls to 911 dispatch. Firefighters got to the restaurant, seeing a thick plume of smoke coming from the back end.

They entered into the back end and experienced a blowback of sorts when they opened the door. The fire had consumed a large chunk of the laundry area and it was up to them to save the entire structure before the flames entered into the main portion of the building.

Carson City firefighters did just that. They hit the fire and hit it hard with water and retardant, saving the rest of the building's structure.

The cause of the fire was determined to be spontaneous combustion of cleaning towels in the dryer area of the laundry room.

Built in 1864, the building is a restored Comstock Mansart Victorian, that fronts North Carson Street. Today it looks as it has always looked on the outside except for the boarded doors. Passers by see the exterior as they always do. The fully restored historic home that was turned into a restaurant is intriguing and inviting both inside and outside.

Cafe at Adele’s has a rich history that extends back to 1977, when the restaurant was first established by Paul and Adele Abowd, parents of fourth-generation and award-winning Chef Charlie Abowd, who co-owns the restaurant with wife Karen.

Before the fire, when one would step through the doors they would see the careful and warm balance of antique and casual comfort in the decorum. It's the kind of place where you walk in and feel like you've been invited into someone's living room and dining room for a home cooked meal and conversation.

But that's changed for the time being as the Abowds spend their time now attempting to replace and restore a lifetime of hard work that, only until recently did they come to understand, was destroyed mostly because of heavy smoke damage.

While the integrity of the building remains strong, it was the smoke that built up from the time the towels began to get hot then combust, which created a thick haze that had no place to go other than through the doors and hallways of the entire restaurant.

"There was no escape route, the restaurant turned literally into a fire smoker," said Charlie, noting what firefighters refer to as "smoke sweat" which appears throughout the walls of the nearly 6,000 square-foot building.

Understanding the nature of the fire at the restaurant, it was the smoke looking for oxygen, a place to escape, and instead penetrating nearly every corner and room in the building.

The fire itself created its own oxygen zone, which, miraculously, firefighters were able to get to before it was able to spread into other parts of the restaurant and into the interior structure, which could have ignited into a fully involved fire where the entire building would have shot up in flames.

But that didn't happen. The smoke did happen, and water damage to fight the fire did happen, however, and that is what most people, including the Abowds themselves, never fully realized until three weeks later when they read the final environmental overview.

This report from the city's health and environmental divisions spelled out in black and white terms what not only happened that early morning but what happens now.

"It means starting from scratch," said Charlie.

With the electricity shut off and the stench of smoke that permeates the air, the Abowds use flashlights to maneuver their way through the darkened halls of the restaurant to take notes of what was lost and has to be replaced. The walk through is eerily surreal and apocalyptic to anyone who knows the restaurant for its decorum, warm lighting and coziness.

What the Abowds learned was the smoke was dense enough that it permeated the walls of the dining area, the kitchen and equipment, refrigeration, appliances, furniture, lamps, flooring and carpet, upholstery, antique chairs, fixtures and the entire bar. These cannot be used anymore. These things have been condemned.

The smoke, not the fire, was the big loss at Cafe at Adele's on that early spring morning. This is what people don't see from the outside.

What people also don't see are the Abowds doing their insurance paperwork and meeting with interior cleanup crews, haulers and movers as part of the pre-process that comes ahead of choosing a contractor to rebuild and replace the inside.

It's paperwork and a whole lot more. And even if the Abowds were in their 30s or 40s or even early 50s, the task would be still be daunting. Karen and Charlie are 68 years old. Before the fire, the couple had put the restaurant up for sale. They wanted to retire.

And sure, they could have settled up with insurance and walked away and sell the property anyway leaving the damage to be taken care of by someone else. But they didn't and they won't. It's not in them.

The Abowds are a couple who not only are recognized for their restaurant and fine dining experience, they are stewards of the community known for their countless fundraisers and philanthropy over the years. Karen also served out two terms as a member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

The restaurant that bears Charlie's mother's name is nationally and internationally recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the state of Nevada. The Abowds have chosen to rebuild the inside of Cafe at Adele's from scratch, taking down and replacing the walls, fixtures, equipment, furniture, bar. Practically everything.

"We are not going to re-invent the wheel, and there is no reason to. But we are going to have to replace. From walls to studs, tables, chairs, lamps, kitchen and dining room, we are going to replace what was lost or what can no longer be used," Karen said.

Of the 23 Cafe at Adele's employees, their payroll is covered by their insurance policy for the time being, including their reported average tips for those who employees who also rely on customer gratuity as well as their paycheck.

The insurance "is not an endless fund," Karen said. "Our goal is to meet that deadline, open and retain our key employees. Without our employees Adele's would be just another restaurant in a cute building. Our employees and our food — this is what we are about, what we've always been about."

Now having an understanding of the volume of work left to be done, the rehab and replacement of what the Abowds have committed to so they can re-open, the question customers and the community want to know is when will it open.

And that question, at least for now, the Abowds don't have an answer yet.

Like with any kind of structure fire where there's more smoke than fire damage, it's what people don't see that can seem confusing.

While sitting inside LA Bakery on North Curry Street across from Adele's, a frequent Cafe at Adele's customer, Dana Singeru, came up to Karen, offered kind, empathetic words of support and sorrow. She asked how it was going with the process inside and then asked "when do you think you will open?"

From customers, to close friends and even members of their own family, this is a question Charlie and Karen are asked every day. They are not able to answer at this time because they simply don't know.

"There are still so many unknowns right now. I wish there was an answer to give," said Karen, noting they hope to have it opened by end of summer. "We have our general contractor in mind and are waiting to finish the paperwork. We are going to open and we are moving forward with the process to re-open. It's just going to take some time."

The Abowds say the outpouring of support, love and kindness from not only the Carson City community but statewide and across the nation, has been key to keeping up their own strengths through the process.

"It is overwhelming for both of us. We are doing the best we can to work through it," she said.

Even their own restaurant friends have stepped into help. Mark Estee, chef and owner at The Union in Carson City, offered Charlie use of his restaurant with Adele's annual lobbyist-only dinner on May 7. It's an Adele's tradition that began 23 years ago. It is a private evening without legislators or journalists, only lobbyists. Estee and Abowd will be doing what they do best with the annual feast, the first time it has been held outside of Adele's.

For those wondering about the status of Concert Under the Stars, created by the Abowds to benefit The Greenhouse Project they launched 11 years ago, that's on too, this year having made plans long before the fire to move the July 10 venue to Eagle Valley Golf Course.

"We couldn't be able to get through this without The Greenhouse Project board taking this on and seeing it through," said Karen.