As you know, the diner, dating to the mid-1960s here on Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, closed in July. Longtime manager Dennis Vassilatos said that Odessa was shutting down after a prolonged slump in business due to COVID-19.
Closer to the last day, however, co-owner Steve Helios told Gothamist that Odessa was only closing temporarily, that the space would be renovated. (The building's landlord is Odessa partner Mike Skulikidis.)
To date, four months later, no work has been done on the space... here's a look inside this week...
As for Thanksgiving... through the years they stuck with a winning offering — glass of wine, cup of cream of turkey soup, etc. And pricing — and signage! — for the Complete Dinner remained unchanged since 2014, when management bumped the meal from $15.95 to $18.95.
We are thankful for all the meals that we enjoyed at Odessa through the years. Perhaps we'll see another Odessa bounty next year.
Previously on EV Grieve:
• Odessa breaks out the Thanksgiving Special signage
• It now seems like Thanksgiving with the Thanksgiving Special at the Odessa
• Odessa unveils Thanksgiving Special; complete dinner still $18.95
• Thanksgiving at Odessa
• Still the best Thanksgiving deal around
• 1 idea for a last-minute Thanksgiving meal
• A tradition almost as traditional as Thanksgiving itself
Soooo sad
ReplyDeleteMy 92-93 year old neighbor Jeannie went there for so many years
w her family
For me, it was the place I'd always go after a goth/punk show, or a rave. Gasmasks, fishnet stockings, and spiked collars, we were always welcomed at Odessa, even if we were a bunch of weirdos rolling in at 5AM.
ReplyDeleteI very much miss it.
Breaded chicken cutlet, mashed with brown gravy on the side, corn, and 2 slices of hallah with butter. Everything else was nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI used to say to myself, if Odessa ever closes, I’m outta NY (or at least the East Village). :(
ReplyDeleteI'm sooo freaking sad. His just may push me past what I can handle for covid
ReplyDeleteOdessa is an actual place in Russia and yet the diner must be Greek owned like many remaining diners left in the city after seeing somewhere on evegrieve that the owner is returning to Greece for retirement.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few of them North of New York City including one that is owned by Hispanics in the countryside with a menu that is taken out from one these places most likely from NYC. I see the menu with "Greek Specialties" such as Spanokopita and Baklava. Sound familiar? Culture flows everywhere...
Odessa is not in Russia. Tell that to a Ukranian who lives in our neighborhood and see what they say..
DeleteI worry about all the Thanksgiving at Odessa regulars and hope that they will enjoy today in a new way.
ReplyDeleteOh, please renovate and come back. 24/7
ReplyDelete