Insider Guide: Sarah Czar

Sarah Czar is a District Manager for the Limited, a prominent national women’s clothing retailer. She recently moved to Novi from Berkley, but has lived in Oakland County for several years after getting her start as a retail manager while living in Traverse City and working her way up the ranks to DM.

Sarah moved to Novi to be closer to her home office in Twelve Oaks Mall, a huge shopping center in Novi with high-end retailers as well as everyday brands. After work, Sarah enjoys stopping by Tin Fish located inside Twelve Oaks Mall for a bite to eat and a martini. “They have great food and fantastic specials,” she says. “They also have a lot of live music and it’s a fun place to hang out at night.”

The Baronette is located in the Twelve Oaks circle, and Sarah swears that Toasted Oak Grille & Market is one of the best restaurants in metro Detroit. “They make everything from scratch in-house, and they specialize in charcuterie. They also have an amazing artisan cheese plate and a wide selection of Michigan-made products available in the Market, including one of the most extensive selections of Michigan wines I’ve seen.”

Across from Twelve Oaks Mall is Fountain Walk, an outdoor destination with a movie theatre, skate park, home goods stores and tons of restaurants. Sarah likes to see movies at Emagine Theatre, a state-of-the-art theatre that also serves alcohol. “Sometimes it’s just nice being able to have a cocktail while watching a movie!” No argument there. Fountain Wwalk also has a Rojo Mexican Bistro for fresh Mexican cuisine and tableside guacamole. For nightlife, there is also the Liquor Store, a popular bar/nightclub for the college-age set and twenty-somethings, and there’s also Lucky Strike, a bowling alley that’s also a nightclub.

Novi has no shortage of chain stores and restaurants, but some of the smaller locally-owned chains that Sarah really enjoys include Tony Sacco’s Coal Oven Pizza (one of the only coal oven pizzerias in the state), Tomatoes Apizza (named one of the best pizzas in the country by GQ), and Bagger Dave’s (a beer and burger bar that where everything is fresh and never frozen and they have a solid selection of Michigan craft beers). Bonefish Grill is also great for fresh seafood in an upscale atmosphere. And for more casual eats, Sarah highly recommends the Farm Grill: “Everything is really fresh, and the food is fantastic!”

For shopping, eating and entertainment, Novi has endless options. “It’s a big city and it can be kind of daunting,” Sarah says. “But there’s a lot of good places out there to explore, you just have to be patient and maybe use your GPS!”