The Royal
By Andrew Kahn
Breakfast is widely considered the most important meal of the day. According to WebMD, skipping breakfast can lead to going as much as 18 hours without food, which can lead to physical, intellectual and behavioral problems. Eating a good meal in the morning is essential and no one in Old Town takes it more seriously than Charles Euripides.
Euripides is owner and manager of The Royal, a restaurant that specializes in its breakfast. While it serves all meals throughout the day, all residents of Old Town know that it is the place to be for a hearty breakfast. After a morning meal at The Royal, you aren’t going to be suffering from any of the ailments listed above.
The restaurant is located in the north end of Old Town on St. Asaph Street. Eight blocks from the congestion of King Street, The Royal is tucked in between residential buildings in a quieter part of town. The large neon sign on the corner of the building reading “RESTAURANT” is thus justified.
On a Saturday morning, a small group of my friends from Old Town decided to get an early breakfast after a late night the night before. The Royal was the obvious choice and we all met at the restaurant around 9 A.M.. There is no hostess at The Royal; the restaurant is a very welcoming atmosphere where the patrons are welcomed to seat themselves wherever they please.
Almost immediately after sitting down, a waitress brings menus and takes our drink orders. One of my favorite parts of The Royal’s breakfast is the coffee. I come from a family of passionate coffee drinkers and have grown up drinking only the finest fresh roasted coffee. Unfortunately, I cannot stomach the majority of restaurants’ cheap quality coffee. The Royal is one of the few places where while it may not be the quality of the coffee I receive at home, it still tastes delicious.
While sipping on our coffees, my friends and I engage in conversation, skipping the process of scanning the menu. We all already know what we are going to order: the Royal Breakfast. This wholesome meal comes with a combination of two pancakes, two eggs of any style, home fries, and either bacon, scrapple or sausage. At just seven dollars, it’s hard to find a better deal for that size breakfast.
In the short waiting time between ordering and receiving our food, I manage to have an extensive conversation about the history of the restaurant with our very hospitable waitress.
The Royal was originally located on Royal Street right next to city hall. Back then it was very much in the center of importance in Old Town. However, due to an urban renovation project it was forced to relocate to its current location in a more residential part of Old Town. The Royal has remained under control of the same family for the entirety of its one hundred year history. The Kyriacos family has owned and operated the restaurant since it’s opening and has been passed down to father and son. The Royal is currently run by Charles Euripides, the nephew of Richard Kyriacos, and continues to uphold the same traditions it did one hundred years ago.
When the food arrives, the talking ceases and the feasting begins. Eggs, home fries, and bacon fill one large oval plate while another smaller plate holds my short stack. The eggs come sunny side up and the bacon is neither undercooked nor burnt. It is commonly thought that it is impossible to mess up traditional breakfast foods. While this may be so, it is very difficult to make it as well as The Royal does.
The pancakes are cooked perfectly and the homemade batter has just enough sugar to make them sweet without being overwhelming. With a gentle touch, the yolk from the two eggs runs easily and brings flavor to the otherwise bland home fries. The eggs and home fries also have the perfect ratio of salt and pepper. The bacon is high quality with little fat and a lot of flavorful apple wood smoked meat.
I would definitely recommend The Royal to anyone looking for a delicious and hearty breakfast to start the day.
