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This restaurant started out as Saratoga Farms in the 1950's which is long before this area of Novi became a giant shopping center. It was pretty rural out here back then. I distinctly remember when what is now 12 Oaks Mall (up Novi Rd from here) being a swampy, empty field. It is amazing this place still stands. The original operator was George Leiter who tragically died in a car accident in 1957. Apparently his home was on this property back then.
Eventually the place became known as Saratoga Trunk in the 70's and 80's. After that, it became Country Epicure which is what I know it as. The company I worked for back in the 90's used to have our Christmas parties here. By the 2000's it became Mezza Mediterranean Grille for a time. As of 2025, it is Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge. The building has been remodeled to a Japanese motif.
One point of trivia from 1960 is B. F. Gregorie of Grand River Amusements, at this address, applied for permission to build a 2.5 million dollar horse racing track in Fenton at US-23 and Owen Rd. This track never came to fruition that I know of. There is an abandoned track up near Flint however. There is another abandoned track in Swartz Creek also.