ROYAL CHEEK: As people on Portage Avenue counted, more than 41 cars in the royal security cavalcade sped towards the airport escorted by a squad of police cars, with lights flashing. After their whirlwind 27-hour visit, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla were heading off faster than a speeding bullet. One black camper-style vehicle with dark windows stood out in the middle. Could it be the royals? A deep male voice called out, “The royal camper! There we go, ladies and gentlemen — our brush with greatness!”
DINING OUT WITH HUEY LEWIS: The night before the famous 10-man band Huey Lewis & the News opened the new 1,400-seat concert bowl on Victoria Day at Club Regent, they hit the East India Company for a Sunday evening of savoury delights. Lewis told yours truly after the show (and two standing O’s), “That was the best Indian food I ever had anywhere in my life!” Restaurant owner Sachit Mehra (now running for city councillor in St. Norbert) said many big acts have stopped by including Metallica, Dan Aykroyd, Weird Al Yankovic, Ben Kingsley, The Edge and Kenny Rogers.
Most just want to kick back, but Lewis, who loves to cook, was so excited, he tried to get the secret recipe for their famous butter chicken. And what did he find out? “We squeeze our own tomatoes three times a week to really taste it in the sauce. You can feel the tingly on the tongue,” says Mehra.
Celebrity Behaviour Report: Lewis and his crew, famous for megahits like The Power of Love and I Want a New Drug, got an A-plus. “What’s a celebrity like? Ask a server,” says Mehra. “They were great with servers and super-down-to-earth, and that’s the hallmark of the best kind of people. We were packed that night and it was nutso, but I asked that everything be tilted to their table, which means all the servers were watching. We had offered to set up a special menu, but they were no-fuss people and said they just wanted to come in and have a good time and enjoy the buffet.”