Curt Cataldo and his wife, Ann Stevenson

Their stylish menus are enticing enough to attract a loyal clientele of discriminating diners, but not matter how expert they are, restaurant people like to take a break from their own kitchens for a taste of someone else's cooking.

Molly Abraham

Curt Cataldo and his wife, Ann Stevenson, run the Clarkston Café, Clarkston Union, and Clarkston General, but they still find time to explore. “When Ann and I get off ‘campus,’ we usually have the kids in tow,” Cataldo says. “We like heading to the Fly Trap in Ferndale. Ann is practically addicted to their fried brown rice bowl, the kids go for the cheddar-only mac and cheese, and I mix it up. We like to order in on Sundays, and usually make a run to Rangoli in Auburn Hills for Indian.” He adds: “On those rare Wednesdays when Ann and I can simultaneously escape — it’s like a lunar eclipse — we like to head north to The French Laundry in Fenton for some pecan pie and ‘us’ time.”