Odyssey: Hidden Windsor spot won't stay secret long

Chefs are a notoriously fickle bunch to feed. Anyone worth their whites can sniff out undercooked pasta at 100 yards and won't hesitate to dress down a fellow cook (usually behind their back) with devastating candor if the fries are frozen or the spinach wilted. Suffice to say it's not just their knives that are razor sharp.

So, when word gets out that local toques have been frequenting Windsor's new Odyssey Restaurant after-hours, my foodie feelers start tingling. When I find out that the chef, Rudy Mihall, cut his teeth at Gramercy Tavern, spent two years in Italy and, according to an email from Jeff Mall "won't be under the radar much longer", my wheels are pretty much smoking in the rush to get there.

Nestled into the tiny space formerly occupied by L'Assiette, Odyssey has just 10 tables and a long, glowing bar that dominates the space. There's little room to maneuver, but proximity can have its benefits--like the ability to chum up to your neighbors and pilfer a little nibble from their plate. Not that I'm suggesting you do this uninvited. But when a ridiculously huge foie gras burger comes to the table, the urge is, well, irresistible.

In the six weeks since opening, Odyssey has breezed past the nervous tension and bungling that are the hallmark of first-timers and settled comfortably into wowing the locals. Mihall has clearly mastered the confines of his small kitchen (allowing more time for his creative coiffures) while friend and SF restaurateur Tom Gordon manages the front of the house.

The menu changes up daily, with house favorites like the pizza, burger and beet tartare as staples. Despite not having a wood-fired oven, Mihall cranks out impossibly thin and crispy pizzas, topped with arugula, pancetta and fresh mozzarella ($13-$15). And no, he won't tell you the secret to how he makes them. Starters show off Mihall's flair for the dramatic: Beet tartare ($10) with sunflower greens is a jewel-toned vision almost too pretty to eat and chilled pea soup with poached lobster (with, get this, pickled ramps) is packed with bits of meat that make its $12 price tag seem a bargain.

Capping off the food frenzy, you'll want to check out the foie gras burger ($21), if just to say you've done it. It's a layer upon layer of flavor (and cholesterol): black truffles, braised short ribs and foie gras encased by beef sirloin. It's not an easy thing to pull off--keeping the exterior from drying out completely, while making sure the inside isn't blood raw. Mihall gets it as close to right as anyone possibly could, searing the outside and finishing the whole affair in the oven. Roasted tomatoes and a brioche bun just add to the dedadence. Thing is, the burger's far too large to actually fit in your mouth, so just split one round the table. I don't want to be responsible for any of you keeling over in coronary arrest if you brave it alone.

Dessert hasn't quite worked itself out yet. Considering the sweet teeth of local clientele and late(ish) hours, we'll look forward to some creativity in this department to cap off the meal. No worries. Just ask the chef sitting at the end of the bar for a few ideas.

If you go: The spot is a little hard to find, hidden in a far corner of the Town Green and signage is minimal. Considering the buzz, you may want to call ahead for reservations. The restaurant has a considerable wine list featuring many local wines, in addition to a large selection of Italian reds and whites.

Odyssey Restaurant, 426 Emily Rose, Circle, Windsor, 707.836.7600. Open Tuesday through Thursday, 5pm to 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 11pm.

Fro Yo A Go Go: From Pinkberry to Golden Spoon, frozen yogurt is, like, soooo back

Along with ballet slipper flats and safety pin fashion, frozen yogurt has resurfaced as one of the summer's hottest recycled '80s trends. Like totally. But hold onto your mall bangs, sister, we've evolved way beyond TCBY. Enter Pinkberry.

Raging through SoCal like an acidophilus-fueled wildfire, Pinkberry has elevated fro-yo to an art form by, well, making it actually taste like yogurt. And at only 25 calories per ounce (before topping it with Fruity Pebbles and Cap'n Crunch, that is), it's a sweet treat that is gentle on the waistline. Unlike that carton of Ben & Jerry's you're hiding in the freezer.

Only two flavors of the hip soft serve yogurt are available--plain and green tea--and reports from rabid fans describe it as creamy, tangy and absolutely dream-like (the Le Klimt designed space doesn't hurt those happy feelings, either). A particular obsession is the shaved ice Pinkberry, intermingling condensed milk, fresh fruit and a "top hat" of plain frozen yogurt. Commence salivation. Fork over something like $7.25.

Sadly, no Pinkberry stores are slated for NoCal in the near future (NYC and Europe get first dibs), though knock-offs abound. Local Chowhounders report that Mangoberry at Michelle's Yogurt on Durant Avenue in Berkeley is a close approximation and Honeydoo is slated to open this fall in SF. Meanwhile, some say the Pinkberry craze was actually pilfered from Korea's Red Mango, now building their own West Coast fleet of shops in SoCal, Washington and Nevada. (We'll cross our fingers they get here soon.)

Need your fix, now? Golden Spoon frozen yogurt recently opened in West Santa Rosa (in addition to the location in Windsor), offering a mind-numbing number of flavors and toppings in a more traditional bent. Styling itself as a flavor-twin to soft serve ice cream (and only 17 calories per ounce!), Golden Spoon comes in vanilla and chocolate as well as an ever-changing line-up of monthly tempations including cake batter, pumpkin pie, boysenberry, coconut and root beer float.

Like, totally awesome.

Golden Spoon Santa Rosa, 1791 Marlow Rd., Santa Rosa, 707-523-1119
Golden Spoon Windsor, 8828 Lakewood Dr., Windsor, 707-836-1119. Open daily 11am to 10pm.

Are you an addict? Can't understand all the fuss? Wikipedia Pinkberry