1) Crave is a restaurant located in downtown Ferndale that opened in January. It has a warm, rustic interior and offers Asian cuisine with Mediterranean influences. 2) The menu features unique starter dishes and sushi that have unexpected flavor combinations. Owner Khalil Ramadan encourages customers to try new items beyond what's familiar. 3) Crave has become a popular spot for both lunch and dinner, offering a welcoming atmosphere where people can relax and share conversations over wine and food.

1. MY| local
Nestled amidst a bevy of inviting retail
store fronts, Crave opened this past January
on Woodward in the hustle and bustle of
downtown Ferndale,
just south of Nine Mile
Road. The rustic brick
walls, the lights, the
music, and the lone
vintage candelabra add
a sumptuous element
of warmth. The staff
knocks it out of the park
with superb knowledge
of the menu, their
eagerness to make you
comfortable, and their
outstanding eye contact
and responsiveness.
With great sincerity and
in the grandest sense,
you are their guest.
The front wall of Crave
opens to fresh air and
By Mary Meldrum • Photographer Robert Olinski • Art Direction by Steve Ragland
CRAVECALLING ALL SUSHI VIRGINS
Co-owner, Khalil Ramadan
sunshine for patrons on beautiful days—bonus!
The contagious energy in this establishment is
complimented by the beautiful plates of food
flowing out of the kitchen and the buzz from the
downtown foot traffic. This is home.
The menu at Crave is…there is not a word that
really delivers here, so we will have to settle for
sensational or remarkable. Those still fall short.
Crave features Asian food with a Mediterranean
fusion, but every dish has a stunning little twist of
flavor that I guarantee you will never expect. Is it
possible to have a mouth orgasm? Yeah, pretty
sure that happened.
They added comfort food to the menu offerings,
giving the already inviting and gracious
atmosphere of the place a neighborhood feel.
Beef, salmon, Hamachi, and conch carpaccio are all
listed among the starters with an absolute carnival
of flavors, including mango, avocado, orange
zest, ponzu, wasabi, and cilantro. A luscious and

2. my pleasure.” With exquisite
manners, Khalil authentically
enjoys being the gracious host
and astonishing his visitors with
extraordinary food. With the
attention to detail, a spectacular
menu and aesthetics, it comes as
no surprise that this is not his first
rodeo. He was one of the owners
of Pure, a nightclub in Detroit in
the 90s, and the founder of the
Crave location in Dearborn.
“You can pop in here on a
Monday or Tuesday and get a
quick burger and fries,” says
Khalil. “Come as you are in
your work clothes or jeans.”
The theme is for you to be
comfortable, happy, and well
fed. And if you want some truly
glorious sushi…well, let’s talk
about the sushi.
The focus is on flavor. There
is no thick layer of rice and nothing
typical about it. This sushi is for
the curious consumer and perfect
for you sushi virgins, so leave your
preconceptions and prejudices at
the door and allow yourself to be
surprised and transformed. Patrons
with an educated sushi palette will
deeply appreciate the contradictions
and diversity of tastes. Brace yourself.
This is not sushi. This is nirvana.
“I train my servers to encourage
customers to allow us to order a few
things off our menu for them to try,”
reveals Khalil. “People are forced to
make tough decisions all week long, so
when they come in they are going to
automatically go for the familiar items
on the menu. We want to lure them
away from that and give them a new
experience.” Bravo. I am officially ruined
from eating sushi anywhere else.
The training works. The staff is
intimately knowledgeable about
the menu offerings and can guide
your selections. You want a burger
and fries? They have that. You want
something off the charts? They have
that. You want something outside the
orbit of this planet? Darling, they have
that in spades.
“I’m breaking sushi virgins all day,”
laughs Khalil. “They love our sushi.
You can get a normal California roll or
steak anywhere else. I want people to
come here for food, relaxation, and to
get away.”
The menu, the staff, the atmosphere,
and the experience of Crave is a
departure from the repetitive burger
joints. The feeling of comfort permeates
the place like a hometown restaurant.
This is where people come to gather
for lunch or at the end of their day and
share stories, wine, and really great
food. And this is without a doubt the
place to bring your sushi virgins.
CRAVE
22726 Woodward Ave, Ferndale, MI
248.398.4070
cravelounge.com
unexpected brunch menu contrasts the
sushi dinner menu. Mind blown.
“Restaurants are changing and we
change with the times,” explains Khalil,
the founder of Crave. Indeed, the
brunch menu melts any resistance with
suggestions like Challah French Toast
with Brulee Bananas and Buttermilk
Pancakes with whipped lemon ricotta.
Wait. What? Whipped lemon ricotta?!
The bounty of shared plates and
fascinating entrees make meals
conversational as well as a social
immersion. (Airline chicken? Do tell!)
Crave is quickly becoming a busy hot
spot in Oakland county, thanks to Khalil
Ramadan, the founder, along with his
wife Thea and partner Edward Farah.
Khalil works a day job, but with the help
of technology he has his eye on a web
camera all day watching his restaurant.
He is not checking up on his staff.
He wants to see customers and their
reactions to the food. He is checking
the lighting and the music. This is his
passion and focus.
Khalil’s curious palette and natural
magnetism make Crave the perfect
mirror for his conspicuous energy.
When asked why he opened Crave
when he has other work, Khalil smiles,
“Giving people a new experience, that’s