Long voyages
Long voyages
Odyssey debuts new chef and menu, Trinity turns 15, Colorado #1 for restaurant inflation + more food & drink news
Odyssey Gastropub has now journeyed its way through nine years in business.
But with a new chef in place and new menu launching Aug. 18, it’s about to take a turn on the map and head in a new direction.
“It’s time for a refresh,” says co-proprietor Jenny Sherman. “We used to be one of the go-to’s in town, but we struggled through Covid, and finding the right person to lead the kitchen has taken us a long time… We want to put ourselves back in the running as one of the cool places.”
Sherman and her husband and co-proprietor Tyler say that they feel excited by and confident about allowing their newly appointed chef to overhaul nearly the entirety of their menu — all but a few flagship favorites like the fish ‘n chips, Brussels sprouts and Odyssey and Pioneer burgers.
“This is the biggest menu change we’ve ever done,” says Jenny.
The chef they’re trusting to pull it off?
Andrew Borek, who took the helm on July 1. I sat down with him and the Shermans for a brief chat and preview of several new menu items earlier this week.
Borek tells me he got his start in corporate restaurants, later working as a trainer for Ted’s Montana Grill and opening a few locations with them. He spent roughly a year and a half at both Colorado Craft and Abby’s Irish Pub (as its head chef) during their respective launch days. Then came an eight-month stint at Ambli Global Cuisine, he says, followed by two years at TILL downtown, then a period most recently working at Grand View at the Garden of the Gods Resort & Club.
Me being me (sometimes without a filter), I shoot a look at the Shermans and blurt out: “Man, he moves around a lot. Are you sure he’s gonna stick around?”
A bit of awkward laughter later — giving grace to the idea of growing as a chef through many kitchens versus a static appointment — we return to the subject at hand. Borek, for his part, says “I want to push the limits in the Springs and on Tejon Street and do some different things.” Echoing Jenny’s sentiment, he says “We want to be part of the top of the scene.”
Now to the samples. Borek says he’s sticking to Odyssey’s theme of traveling by pulling from different international cuisines.
A fresh brunch menu launched two weeks ago, with items like a chilaquiles verde with carnitas and Eggs in Purgatory with Pomodoro sauce and poached eggs over sourdough toast with fresh basil and Parmesan. I don’t try those (psych!), but I do get a taste of a light and colorful Palisade peach panzanella as a seasonal specialty. (Borek aims to refresh menus quarterly.) The bread salad places toasted pieces of French bread, heirloom tomatoes and peach segments around a burrata ball with fresh shallots and basil garnish and a drizzle of spicy honey (made with cayenne and red pepper flakes).
From the regular lunch/dinner menu, I next sample a vegetarian risotto, a broccolini appetizer and a Mongolian beef main, finishing with a panna cotta. The white wine risotto, with rotating seasonal vegetables, can be made vegan (as can a few other dishes by request). The broccolini receives a bright Calabrian pepper vinaigrette plus shaved Grana Padano and crispy shallots, making for a beautiful tangle of ingredients on the plate.
The Mongolian beef starts with a corn starch batter and fry on the tender beef hunks, which mix with roasted veggies in a house Mongolian beef sauce; it’s served with a scoop of basmati rice. The panna cotta receives blueberries and fresh basil with lemon zest, a lovely combination that enlivens the creamy vanilla custard. It’s a great rendition.
Ready for 🔥🐔
• Side Dish’s ONE DAY ONLY Diavolo Pueblo Hot Chicken pop-up at the Colorado Springs Bingo Burger takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22. Come claim your Hot as Hell chicken sandwich (or a milder version) and enjoy a Bell Brother’s Brewing Pueblo chile lager. Reps from co-presenter Downtown Partnership and Pueblo’s Fuel & Iron Food Hall will join us, and we’ll be giving out some swag and vouchers for freebies for your return visit to Diavolo in its regular setting at Fuel & Iron. We’ll get you hooked here, on your first taste. The future drive’s on you.
Trinity turns 15
Side Dish partner Focus on the Beer takes a nostalgic look back through its photo archive this week to honor Trinity Brewing’s 15-year anniversary. And Focus gleans the details from head brewer Zach Weller on a special brandy Old Fashioned ale being released for the celebration:
“We chose Brandy because we wanted it to be different and fun, while highlighting the cherries added and the crystal malts.”
The Brandy Old Fashioned is a beer that Weller and owner Matt Dettmann have both been interested in doing for awhile now, and the anniversary seemed like a perfect time to do so. According to Weller, the base has tons of Maris Otter and Crystal malt with a touch of cherrywood-smoked malt—similar to what they use in their ESB. For hops, they kept it noble and added some orange peel in the boil to help with the Old Fashioned flavor profile.
Fermentation was handled by a mix of London Fog and British Ale yeast, providing some extra citrus flavors as well as a balanced crisp finish.
After fermentation, Weller aged the beer on Oranges, Maraschino Cherries and brandy/bitter soaked oak chips to really play up the cocktail inspiration. It’s turned out to be a flavorful and different kind of beer.
We’re #1! (…for restaurant inflation)
NPR affiliate KUNC published a story last week with the headline: Colorado is the No. 1 state for restaurant inflation. Customers are seeing it in menu prices. A short excerpt from it:
… As operating expenses increase, those costs are passed onto the plate. According to the analysis, menu prices in Colorado have increased by nearly 25% since last November. That brings an average meal out from about $91 in late 2022 to about $112 in June 2023. …
[Sonia Riggs, CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association] said she hasn’t studied why Colorado is ahead of the rest of the country, but she suspects that it's due to rising labor costs and costs of living.
While I was meeting with Odyssey Gastropub’s Jenny Sherman this past week, I asked her thoughts on the topic, since she’s the Vice President of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association.
“We have no option,” she said, noting that Odyssey tried an inflation surcharge not long ago and “people lost their minds.”
She cited a number of factors, from current Colorado minimum wage ($13.65/hr, and $10.63/hr for tipped employees) to newer laws requiring paid sick time and the offering of a 401(k) plan, which requires admin fees from businesses.
Sherman said her profit margins have shrunk, too, making it even more difficult to operate. “But we can’t charge anymore. There’s only so much that people are willing to pay,” she says.
For the month of August, Ranch Foods Direct will spotlight its Sirloin Tip with another excellent recipe from Gather Food Studio. Scan the above QR code for the recipe and chef David Cook’s ‘Tips for Grilling a Great Steak.”
Colorado Springs Bartenders Guild disbands
“With heavy hearts we have decided to disband the Colorado Springs chapter of the USBG. Unfortunately we are unable to meet the requirements by the USBG to continue the chapter.”
Those are the words of one of the Springs USBG admins, Regan Capozzella (of Brooklyn’s on Boulder).
“We look to continue growing our community outside of the USBG and hope you all still attend events within the industry! Join us for a multi-day bar crawl to celebrate the memories and continue friendships,” she concludes. Here’s that schedule:
Immediate events:
• Remember: I’m giving away two tickets to Tails, Tunes & Tastes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The event’s from 6-9:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31. This is a $130 value. Find me at Sip With Schnip, the Bar Battle Competition at Tipperary and/or the Diavolo pop-up at Bingo. Come say hi and tell me your favorite animal, and I’ll enter you in the drawing. I’ll announce a winner in my Aug. 24-25 newsletter.
Upcoming events:
• The Palmer Lake Wine Festival is Saturday, Sept. 9, noon to 5 p.m. Expect more than 30 Colorado wineries, vendors, food and music. Tickets, at PLWF2023.com, benefit Tri-Lakes Cares.
• Catch Downtown Colorado Springs’ Revel: The Urban Arts Party at 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9 in AdAmAn Alley. The event celebrates Art on the Streets’ 25 year anniversary as well as the Downtown Creative District. Following a special seated dinner, a dance party kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Click the above link to see the list of attending chefs from surrounding businesses.
Parting shot(s)
As part of promotions for the upcoming Diavolo pop-up/takeover at Bingo Burger COS on Aug. 22, owners Richard Warner and Mary Oreskovich appeared on Loving Living Local with me earlier this week. Fox 21 anchor Krista Witiak interviewed us about the creation of Diavolo’s hot chicken sandwich. I also spoke to her in a separate segment about my career food reviewing in Colorado Springs and how I became a critic.
I look forward to this newsletter every week! Our very own Eater, but better:)
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