Cravings: Gemmayze & O’Connors Public House

Their stylish menus are enticing enough to attract a loyal clientele of discriminating diners, but no matter how expert they are, restaurant people like to take a break from their own kitchens for a taste of someone else’s cooking.
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> DOUGLAS RUNYON, who manages GEMMAYZE in Royal Oak, says he loved Mediterranean food even before he married into “a Lebanese food family. But aside from craving our food (especially hummus), I have a couple other cravings: Eggs! My 3-and-a-half-year-old son is highly allergic to eggs, so we don’t keep them in the house. When we drop him off at his preschool, my wife and I like to enjoy morning dates. One of our favorite places is Jumps in Grosse Pointe Farms. I can’t resist the spinach, bacon, havarti omelet or the omelet feature of the day.”  Runyon says he also loves burgers — from sliders and bar burgers to the gourmet kind at Bourbon Steak, especially their signature burger with balsamic onions and cheddar, adding bacon and egg. “But sometimes (don’t tell my wife), I like to stop by the Telway on John R in Madison Heights and get a few sliders late night on my way home.”

> Executive chef/general manager MICHAEL KEYS of O’CONNOR’S PUBLIC HOUSE in downtown Rochester is a lifelong east-sider and says that he and his wife always enjoy Luigi’s in downtown Mount Clemens, where they’re likely to order calamari, Greek salad, “Luigi-style lamb chops,” and a bottle of red wine. “My kids know Dad’s favorite is Buddy’s pizza, usually the Warren location, but we do hit Conant at least once a year. It’s been a family favorite ever since I can remember, sitting next to Sparky Anderson and Al Kaline with my mom and dad a long time ago.” He still orders antipasto salad, a large square pizza, and a pitcher of beer.” In Rochester, he stops at Kabin Kruser’s for “fresh oysters, escargot, and awesome housebaked bread.”


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