Who’s Who in Albany: Jodie Royston

Occupation: Jodie Royston and his family own and run a restaurant and catering business, called simply, "Jodie's Restaurant."

Age: 70 (turning 71 in August)

How long have you been here, and how did you pick this location? We've spent 21 years here. I went all over – Walnut Creek, Oakland – looking for a place. I don't know why, but I liked this one. I thought, "It's a good start."

You have a few tables outside. Does the weather affect your business? Weather, if it's cool, it does sometimes affect business. We only have about seven stools inside. Business is pretty good, as long as it's not raining.

How would you describe your food? We don't use salt in any of our food. People think of this as a greasy spoon, but they're wrong. I get peppers from all over the world and grind them to make my own seasonings. We cook things from scratch. Nothing sits around but the things that should, like grits. If you're allergic to anything, just tell me; I'll make a substitution. There's no grease here, no saturated fat; our fried chicken is cooked in canola oil.

Like eggs benedict, I have an "Eggs Royston" here, but instead of butter, it's got an herb sauce that my daughter came up with.

Who are the people in the photos all over your walls? These are members of my "Breakfast Club." I've also got a wall of kids' photos. Kids can put their photo on the wall and get a breakfast free. I tell kids that if they can get A's and B's in first and second grade, they can show me their progress reports and get a free breakfast.

How did your dish "Michelle's Delight" come about? When [Obama] won, I already had this dish, but I named it for Michelle because I couldn't have one for him and not name one for her. The sauce is made from fresh vegetables; we use pork tenderloin. Our hash browns are not oily -- they taste like potatoes. The eggs taste like eggs. Almost anything on the menu could be made vegetarian.

What's in your dish named "Nothing"? Before I serve it to you, I may ask, "Are you allergic to anything?" It's different every time, and it is delicious. Say you came in and asked, "Can I have that dish 'Nothing' again today?" I would say, "Nope."

How have things changed in the last 21 years? I've seen a lot of changes in Albany; lots of places have gone in and out of business so fast it'll make your head spin.

But you're still here. I must be doing something right.

Would you like to add anything? When you come to Jodie's, you don't come to check it out; you come to enjoy.