Café Royal ‘not enough sugar for a dime’

<p>The Van Antwerp Building, located downtown at the corner of Dauphin and Royal Streets,  has a rich history. One of, if not the first, &amp;quot;skyscrapers&amp;quot; in Mobile, the <span class="caps">VAB</span> as it is sometimes referred to was built by the Van Antwerp family and housed their drugstore on the first floor with offices above. If you have never been on any of the upper floors, it is eerily reminiscent of a film noir movie. You expect Kim Basinger or Dick Tracy to be just around the corner, with real wood paneling and frosted glass. 

It seems like forever ago in some ways but just yesterday in others that Drayton Place, Mobile’s first "tavern of taste," took the leap and established a restaurant on the first floor. It was the place to be in the mid ‘90s for lunch and after work. All was fine until the owners got the big idea they would do so much better if they located in an old Darryl’s off Interstate 65 – they went out of business quickly. I cannot really count how many or just who followed, but I do remember that someone claimed to be the "spirit of Mobile." I just don’t know what the current occupants, the Royal Café, are claiming to be. The lunch menu seems to be Mediterranean influenced and at night continental. I took a group to dinner recently after I had spoken to John Weichman, who began the New Year as the "guest chef" and, from what I gathered, was hoping to stay. I mean, before this I had never heard much of anything out of them, or about them. It was about 8:30 on a Tuesday evening, so I was not expecting too many people out, but it was Senior Bowl week. A harpist was playing in the center of the room. While I did not want to sit by the harpist, I also wanted to steer clear of the gusty wind that has always blown in the doors. After being told that the harpist was finishing up we selected a table nearby. The place was cold, as in, so cold that I draped my coat over my legs like a grandpa. My remark (rather than a complaint) about the temperature was either ignored or not heard. When our boisterous host/owner arrived with an armful of plushy menus he tried to regale us with his knowledge and puffery about his offerings. I told him I was so excited to be able to finally eat some of John’s food after many years, only to be told a quite interesting "guest chef" story. John was only there for a week, but this week the "guest chef" was from the Marriott out by the mall. Interesting, for this "guest chef" had no specials of his own, he was just cooking off the menu…. As we looked over the menu, it was volunteered that if I wanted John Weichman’s scamp almandine, spinach au gratin or mashed potatoes that they were all available. The menu that I took with me I later noticed had no prices, but I do remember some. I recall that all of the appetizers and salads were not inexpensive. Among those recommended was a fried calamari with marinara, crab cakes with remoulade sauce, steamed mussels or raspberry shrimp, whereby fried jumbo shrimp are tossed in a raspberry sauce. There are a few salads, the ubiquitous Caesar, a Greek and marinated hearts of palm over mixed greens with Caesar dressing. The entrées do range in price, but all of the prices here seem a bit much for the product. I can only remember what my tab was, the menu they gave me had no prices on it (why would you have a take-away menu without prices?). Well, I apologize, there are four items with prices – $15 for "classic" beef selections lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, Chicken and veggies rolled in Phyllo dough or Moussaka. Next up are some kababs, chicken, beef, lamb or the royal combo. One of my friends selected the beef kabobs (and he always eats steak, I should have picked up on this and ordered down like him). The beef was a nice quality and he commented that it was flavorful and good. The menu continues on to such selections as grouper Oscar, seared with crabmeat and Bearnaise sauce" seafood scampi (shrimp, mussels, fresh fish and calamari in white wine garlic butter with a fettuccini nest); portabello ravioli and grilled chicken in a roasted garlic marinara; a filet or New York strip either served with a Charon sauce (typically, this is either a bernaisse or hollandaise tinted pink with tomato puree) or Cognac peppercorn sauce. There is also a cowboy rib eye, rack of lamb and a seared duck breast with pomegranate balsamic sauce. All sounds awesome right? Well, as far as the main courses go there was nothing to complain about. One ordered the wasabi tuna, grilled rare and served with a wasabi aioli and ginger soy sauce and it looked pink right down the middle and he remarked that it was quite good. The two others of us at the table ordered the scamp almandine and the three of us had spinach au gratin and mashed potatoes as sides. My fish tasted exactly like the one I remembered from Wiechman’s All Seasons Restaurant – did the guest chef maybe work for him? Rather odd, I thought, to continue previous guest chef’s items. It was wonderful. The temperature issue came to bear with the food as well, as the sides were cold – all of ours, not just mine. I was outside on a phone call when the food came, but I immediately walked back. When the owner came to ask about our meal I told him – he chastised me for being on the phone. As a group, we really did not like the attitude. Then we got the bill, and all I can tell you is that for $125 we got three big pieces of fish, cold sides and two glasses of wine. That is not enough sugar for a dime, as my grandfather used to say.