Odyssey Italian closes temporarily after fire during service

3 days ago 5

Capitol Hill restaurant Odyssey Italian will close for at least two weeks, and maybe longer, following a Monday fire that damaged the building, the owners said.

“Unfortunately, we have to cancel your reservation,” they wrote online. “While we work on the damage and set out on repairs, we would love to see you at our sister restaurant in Uptown; Ollie and Park’s.”

Ollie & Park’s, which opened in 2024, serves American-style tapas and cocktails.

The owners believe the Odyssey fire may have started in the alley, by the kitchen’s exhaust fan, and worked its way into the building. But they didn’t want to speculate or draw conclusions as they work through paperwork and insurance, they said.

“We have 35 to 40 employees who are now out of work,” said co-owner Jason Alfonso, who’s also a chef. “We hope to hire them all back, but it’s tough. We live paycheck to paycheck.”