MAINSTREETS
Novi & Northville
n the competition of sister cities, it's
no fun always being runner up while
the brasher, bolder sibling takes
center stage. Indeed, no one ever penned
a famous song about Oakland County.
Can you imagine the opening credits of
a steamy nighttime melodrama dubbed
"Fort Worth"? And it just wouldn't have
been the same had Mary Richards tossed
her tam while window shopping in the
staid St. Paul.
To be sure, these well-known burgs,
always the bridesmaids to their more cos-
mopolitan neighbors, have suffered their
share of jokes and shame.
But a revolution of sorts is taking place,
as second cities around the country and
even right here at home — the surpris-
ingly sprite Northville is as much a draw
as the broad shouldered, confident Novi
— are coming into their own, exerting
their singular personalities as locales
worth a look.
DINING/NIGHTLIFE
With the majority of commerce in Novi
occurring along the Novi Road/Twelve
Mile corridor, in the vicinity of Twelve
Oaks Mall, it's not surprising that when it's
time to grab a bite the choices tilt in favor
of the big chains, some of which, though,
haven't yet saturated the marketplace and
offer a one-off experience.
However, a little exploring in the adja-
cent shopping plazas — West Oaks I
and II, Fountain Walk, Novi Town Center,
Mainstreet, City Center Plaza — yields
a trove of interesting discoveries, some
unfamiliar, others former haunts merely
forgotten.
No compilation of eating spots in Novi
or Northville would be complete with such
perennial favorites as the casual and corn-
fortable — and completely non-smoking
— Diamond F1111 Brady's (26053 Town
Center Dr., 248-380-8460), or the slightly
more sophisticated, menu-wise, but no less
friendly in terms of atmosphere Steve &
Rocky's (43150 Grand River, 248-347-0688).
Also eliciting raves and pleasing palates
for a number of years are two spots with
distinctive pedigrees: No. VI Chop House
inside the Hotel Baronette (27790 Novi
Rd., 248-305-5210), serving exclusively
USDA Prime cuts of beef; and Genitti's
Hole-in-the-Wall (108 E. Main St., 248-
349-0522), home to the seven-course
Italian dinner and interactive comedy
theater.
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October 23 • 2008
main
Authentic Japanese cuisine plus a taste
of Korean fare abounds in these parts
at, among others, the sublime Cherry
Blossom (43588 W. Oaks Dr., 248-380-
9160); Shiro (43180 W. Nine Mile, 248-
348-1212) located in the restored, historic
Rogers Mansion, a white, columned manor
— shiro means "castle" or "white" in
Japanese — built in 1929; Oishi Noodle
& Rice Bowl (43155 Grand River, 248-
380-1600) and its sister restaurant, Bi
Bim Bab (22208 Novi Rd., 248-348-6800)
for succulent Korean barbecue.
Diners can have a hand in what's for
dinner at such create-your-own stir-fry
favorites as BD's Mongolian Barbecue
(43155 Main St., 248-735-1900) or
Sizzling Sticks Café (144 Mary Alexander
Ct., 248-380-9400).
Take a trip to the Emerald Isle her-
self via Gus O'Connor's Public House
(42875 Grand River, 248-465-9670),
the largest authentic Irish pub in North
America, or the sprite-sized Poole's
Tavern (157 E. Main St., 248-3491715),
or indulge in a feast of Italian specialties
at Andiamo (42705 Grand River, 248-
348-3838), Tirami Su (146 Maincentre,
248-735-0101), or the quaint Little Italy
Ristorante (227 Hutton St., 248-348-
0575).
And should the caffeine cravings
become too hard to ignore, get your fix
and take a much-needed respite at down-
town Northville's Tuscan Café (150 N.
Center St., 248-305-8629).
In addition to food, many of these
restaurants serve up a hefty menu of live
entertainment. Or, if you'd rather step out
later in the evening, there's always a hearty
welcome at the Post Bar (42875 Grand
River, 248-465-9600), or something for
everyone, literally, at the "upscale" bowling
lounge Lucky Strike (44325 W. 12 Mile
Rd., 248-374-3420), which also features
billiard tables, game rooms and high
energy Tequila Rain Dance Club.
Wine lovers have no shortage of spots
to indulge their passion. From The
Grapevine (43155 Market St., 248-344-
4044) in Novi's "restaurant row:' aka the
Market Street development, to Simply
Wine (109 N. Center St., 248-380-9463)
and Wine Sync (122 W. Main St., 248-374-
9463), both in downtown Northville and
each offering the requisite tastings and
wine for purchase.
For something with a healthful kick,
look for the brightly painted storefront
of Garnish ... a fresh impression
(25875 Novi Rd., 248-305-3030) for fresh
squeezed juices and good-for-you sand-
wiches and salads, or the just opened Red
Pepper Deli (116 W. Main St., 248-773-
7672) where the menu is 100-percent veg-
etarian, using only organic ingredients.
Finally, you'll be all the happier if you
don't resist the temptation — besides,
you just had that healthy meal at Garnish
or Red Pepper — to pull into the legend-
ary Guernsey Farm Dairy (21300 Novi
Rd., 248-349-1466) for a scoop — or two,
but who's counting — of what's arguably
the creamiest, richest ice cream for miles
around.
SHOPPINC
Let's dispense with the preliminaries and
get down to the business at hand. After
all, this is shopping country. In fact, shop-
ping, or more precisely Twelve Oaks Mall
(www.shoptwelveoaks.com ), put Novi on
the map.
And the mammoth mall recently
grew even larger with the opening of the
region's second Nordstrom, 30 additional
specialty shops, and an expanded Macy's.