Odyssea Restaurant: 71-02 Kissena Blvd., Flushing; 793-8270

Cuisine: Diner

Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Credit Cards: All major

When Odysseus made his long and arduous journey home from the Trojan War, rest stops were few and far between. If only the mysterious waters of the Mediterranean had led him to Flushing, his lunch would have become more meal than myth. Unfortunately, the Odyssea Restaurant only opened in July of this year.

Located on a busy stretch of Kissena Boulevard, Odyssea caters to a bustling breakfast and lunch crowd, as well as a more subdued and leisurely dinner crowd.

For breakfast, the chef recommends the Griddle Cakes Deluxe ($5.95), served with an egg, and ham, bacon, or sausage. Odyssea also offers delicious Belgian waffles, French toast, and an extensive selection of omelets. Also try the Jumbo Bagel Special ($7.50), served with lox, cream cheese, lettuce, onions and olives.

While Greek cuisine has changed quite a bit since Odysseus’ day, and most likely he never had the opportunity to try a Gyro or Souvlaki, consider yourself fortunate. At Odyssea, these Greek specialties and others are wonderfully executed. The chef recommends the Chicken Gyro ($4.45), which is wrapped in pita bread, with lettuce, tomato, onions, and a delicious sauce.

The menu also makes a its own odyssey to the other side of the Mediterranean for a selection of excellent Italian dishes. Make sure you try the veal parmigiana.

When it comes to salads, Odyssea offers some terrific options. Not to be missed is the Greek salad ($5.50), served with feta cheese, anchovies, scallions, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, relish, and onions. One of the most popular dishes at Odyssea is the Caesar salad "All the Way," which comes with thinly sliced chicken breast, a hard boiled egg, crisp romaine lettuce, and is topped with delicious croutons.

If it is standard diner fare you are after, you will not be disappointed. Odyssea serves up burgers, fries, sandwiches, and milkshakes, all at extremely reasonable prices. Try their Reuben sandwich ($6.50), which is grilled corned beef and sauerkraut on rye bread, topped with melted Swiss cheese and served with potato salad.

If you are just stopping by for a late night snack, don’t miss the chicken fingers deluxe ($7.25), which comes with fried chicken strips, barbecue sauce, French fries, lettuce and tomato.