A visit to a poetry reading at Odessa

Odessa has been playing host to a literary reading series on Wednesdays in recent weeks.

Michael Graves, who started the Phoenix Reading Series in the West Village in the late 1990s, is the organizer at Odessa, the diner at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by last week's event, where Amy Barone, Ron Kolm and Karen Neuberg were the featured poets.

Stacie reports that they were a very supportive bunch of readers and authors (and listeners) ...


[Michael Graves]


[Amy Barone]


[Ron Kolm]


[Karen Neuberg]

The series, which takes place in the back of the diner (near the bar) on Wednesday evenings (from 6 to 8 or 9), features several guests as well as an open-mic portion. There's a suggested donation of $5 as well as a request to order something from Odessa ...

A reading series at Odessa

Odessa has been playing host to a literary reading series in recent weeks on Wednesday evenings.

There hadn't been much notice about the events. Now, however, there's a sign up for the readings...



The series, which takes place in the back of the diner (near the bar) on Wednesday evenings, features several guests as well as an open-mic portion. There's a suggested donation of $5 as well as a request to order something from Odessa. (Ed pick: challah grilled cheese!)

Michael Graves, who started the Phoenix Reading Series in the West Village in the late 1990s, is the organizer. Amy Barone, Ron Kolm and Karen Neuberg are the featured poets tomorrow (Wednesday) night. The reading starts at 6 p.m. and runs to 8-9 p.m.

Is it Nov. 28 yet? Turkey time again at the Odessa with the $18.95 Thanksgiving Special

Thanksgiving Season is officially upon us as the Odessa management hung the familiar Thanksgiving Special signage yesterday morning here at 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...



As you can see, they are sticking to the formula — glass of wine, cup of cream of turkey soup, etc. — that has served them well all these years. And pricing for the Complete Dinner remains unchanged since 2014, when management bumped the meal from $15.95 to $18.95.

It is quite a good deal, and one that I have enjoyed on past Thanksgivings. God Bless us everyone. (Wrong holiday?)

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

Flashback to 2009…

Friday's parting shot

The grilled cheddar cheese and tomato on Challah at the Odessa.

Wednesday's parting shot

The Odessa, 119 Avenue A, as seen in Episode 8 of the Netflix series "Russian Doll."

It now seems like Thanksgiving with the Thanksgiving Special at the Odessa

I was getting worried that, perhaps, the Odessa at 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place was not going to offer its annual Thanksgiving Special this year. But! Signage finally went up on Sunday. (Last year, for instance, the sign arrived one whole week before Thanksgiving.)

The complete dinner price remains the same as in recent years — $18.95. (Management bumped it from $15.95 to $18.95 for Thanksgiving 2014.)

As always, I am thankful for the Odessa's homemade sign. And where do they store it year round?

Odessa unveils Thanksgiving Special; complete dinner still $18.95

The folks at Odessa hung the familiar Thanksgiving Special signage yesterday here at 119 Avenue A between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place…

The complete dinner is the same as in recent years… with the same $18.95 price tag (they bumped it from $15.95 to $18.95 from 2013 to 2014).

As noted in previous posts about the Thanksgiving Special signage, I've had my share of Thanksgiving dinners here. Always a good time. Can't say that I've ever tried the cup of Cream of Turkey Soup, though. Kinda seems like something you'd have on Saturday when you're exhausting the leftover possibilities. Turkey Crunch in a hoof!

Thanksgiving at Odessa

We've eaten our Thanksgiving dinner at Odessa several times now in recent years ... and this year will likely be no different.

They've finally upped the price a few bucks ... still a good deal for all the food that you get here at 119 Avenue A.

Anyway, we always liked the homemade sign that they must stow away for every Thanksgiving ...

2013!



2009!

Still the best Thanksgiving deal around

We've written before about the Odessa's Thanksgiving day special … quite a feast for the money… we've eaten here several times on Thanksgiving before (when we didn't go to the Blarney Cove or the race track) … and the $15.95 price tag has stayed consistent through the recent years too...

Flashback to 2009…

Visiting old friends on Avenue A this Sunday morning

Ray's and Odessa...

1 idea for a last-minute Thanksgiving meal

The Odessa on Avenue A...

I'm not aware of a better deal around... considering the amount of food that you get... I've eaten here several times on Thanksgiving in recent years... And they haven't changed the price (or sign) for several years. Sorry, no Crushed Almond-Sweet Potato Puree & Huckleberry with Shaved Nutmeg here...

Oh, and has anyone ever taken part in the Thanksgiving feast at Ukrainian East Village on Second Avenue? This looks tempting as well...

Claim: Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A has been sold

[Michael Sean Edwards]

Shawn Chittle reports that a source at Odessa claims the building housing the "old" Odessa at 117 Avenue A has been sold for $3.7 million. There are two years left on the Odessa lease, but the hammer may fall sooner than that. Odessa owners are retired and a buyout is possible.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar for sale on Avenue A

Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar for sale on Avenue A

Dave on 7th heard the rumor that the building that houses the Odessa Cafe and Bar at 117 Avenue A is for sale... sure enough, a sign has just arrived...



...this is the (old) cafe/diner space... the newer diner is next door at 119...



Unfortunately, we don't have much information about this listing. The HPNY site is under construction. An Odessa source tells EVG contributor Shawn Chittle that the owner lives in Arizona, and is asking in the $3 million neighborhood for the property. The landlord offered to sell the building to the Odessa proprietors, who own 119 Avenue A as well. They are passing on the sale for now.

The Odessa Cafe currently has three years left on its lease.


[Shawn Chittle]

Waiting for Mila?

Odessa Cafe on Avenue A is the site of an interior shoot for "Blood Ties," the 1970s-era family crime drama starring Clive Owen and Mila Kunis ... The crew seems to be locking down the sidewalk more so than usual, a few passersby have noted...

Photos by Shawn Chittle...

Reminders: Cash mob tonight at Odessa

As you may have read at Jeremiah's on Monday... there's a cash mob starting at 6 tonight at the Odessa Restaurant at 119 Avenue A... dinner first, then to the Odessa Cafe Bar next door for drinks afterwards... so even if you're not around right at 6, you can come by later. (And bring cash, which is the whole idea of a cash mob... as Jeremiah described it, they're "like flash mobs, but their purpose is to infuse a local business with cash.")

Thanks to Goggla for coordinating the event with Odessa ... perhaps this will be the first of many cash mobs to help other struggling businesses around the neighborhood...

And as we recently mentioned, the old Odessa space is quite a nice spot for drinks... (you can order food there too...)

[Michael Sean Edwards]

P.S.

We like the grilled cheese on Challah from Odessa ...

A little love for Odessa

Odessa on Avenue A got a little love in the Post yesterday ... in the weekly "My New York" feature. Actor Paul Dano (best known for "There Will Be Blood" and "Little Miss Sunshine") singled out Odessa as well as Blue & Gold and Big Bar as some of his favorite places...

And we'll do the same... we're fans of the Odessa, particularly drinks at the old Cafe... seen here in two photos by Michael Sean Edwards...

Things we like: Odessa's business card

And now, the newly designed menu at Odessa

Matt Rosen at Neighborhoodr notes the newly designed menu at EV Grieve favorite Odessa on Avenue A.

The previous menu seemed to be about, oh, 20 pages... Matt says that the new version is more streamlined.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

Inside Bird's house on Avenue B (The New York Times)

The gingko trees of East Eleventh Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

What Guss's Pickles on Orchard looks like now (Racked)

Wall Street types have regained their swagger (The Dealbook)

Tracking an LES burglary suspect (BoweryBoogie)

More on former Butcher Bay space on East Fifth Street (Diner's Journal)

And case you missed the new-look Deitch Wall news from yesterday... here's what it looks like now... 12ozProphet has more on the tribute... which was short-lived.


[Photo via Eddie Brannan]

'2 Days' this afternoon on Avenue A

"2 Days in New York" filming today at the Odessa Cafe on Avenue A... Several people spotted Vincent Gallo on the scene. Apparently he has a cameo or something. While leaving, he was heard saying, "that was easy." And he may have had some free time to rag on Kanye West.

The crew has been filming all over the place... BoweryBoogie has more on it here. The comedy is written and directed by Julie Delpy... and features Delpy and Chris Rock in a sequel to "2 Days in Paris."