American Voodoo
4655 Park Blvd. (University Heights)
619-255-8504
Average prices: Starters and salads, $7 to $12; entrees, $16 to $22

By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review

Animal bones, voodoo dolls and amulets comprise a serious collection of peculiar artifacts at American Voodoo, a new restaurant in University Heights that does a better job at comforting diners than scaring them.

Opened recently by filmmaker-turned-restaurateur Joshua Hamlin, the kitchen team includes classically French-trained chef Daniel San Augustine, a culinary veteran who cooked for A-list celebrities while working for the famed, Los Angeles-based caterer, Chef LaLa. His seasonally driven menu at American Voodoo leans toward “West Coast Creole,” but doesn’t rule out such continental standbys as short ribs, mussels and sirloin. There’s also a knockout version of fried chicken based on a South Carolina recipe from Hamlin’s grandmother.

A rustic ambiance pervades throughout the cozy double-storefront space, although it feels less clichéd compared to a zillion other restaurants clad in reclaimed wood. Several voodoo dolls crafted by Hamlin’s mom peer from arched shelving units containing myriad odd pieces he amassed in his world travels. Taxidermy is mixed into the scheme as well, along with Jakarta Blend wood tables and a unisex restroom that shocks with one of the wildest visionary-style paintjobs I’ve ever seen.

Complimentary biscuits made with a touch of molasses and served with honey butter keep guests noshing as they decide on dishes from a chalkboard menu perched near the front door. Regarding the absence of alcohol, it will soon be a thing of the past as Hamlin is expecting his beer and wine license in the coming week. He’ll carry local brews, soju cocktails and an all-California wine list.

We started with grilled strawberry salad that recently replaced a similar medley using figs. The chef still had some figs in the house, so without any complaints from us, he tossed them in. The slightly charred fruits added novelty to the greens while the Meyer lemon vinaigrette clenched the entire salad together with a clean, bright flavor.

Red beans and rice needed only a few drops of hot sauce from the table to make them sing, as is usually the case. The chef uses pork stock in the recipe, although he’s considering porking up the dish further with andouille sausage. I vote “yes.”

We also kicked off with habanero mac-n-cheese that is actually tame enough for scaredy cats. The sporadic bursts of capsaicin were quickly quelled by a velvety, well-constructed roux that took on a blend of luscious curds the chef wouldn’t reveal. Ah, why is it that the best mac-n-cheese recipes are always kept top secret?

The organic fried chicken is all the rage. The half bird was accompanied with coleslaw and sweet potato mash spiked with nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Most remarkable was that even the thickest section of the breast piece cut effortlessly with our butter knives.

The chicken is first cooked sous vide for several hours, a French method of sealing food in airtight plastic bags and submerging them in low-heat water baths. Meats and vegetables cooked in this manner result in maximum flavor and tenderness since they don’t come in direct contact with water or heat sources.

Here, the chicken then receives what tasted like a traditional Southern battering of flour and buttermilk before it’s fried to a golden-brown crisp. If a spell was cast upon us that night, it was one that will taunt us with eternal flashbacks for this recipe.

Two other entrees circulated our table: Charbroiled pork medallions and pork short ribs. Both autumn-friendly dishes came with moist apple-fennel dressing while the medallions featured the addition of roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts and onions underneath. The chef encircled the sliced meat with the braising liquid from the ribs, enhancing it with brown sugar and soy sauce. It was a daily special worthy of encores.

The ribs were slathered seemingly with the same liquid, although with added flavor achieved from pre-smoking them before turning ultra tender in the oven. Beef short ribs, we’re told, rotate through the menu on certain days.

“We want to be in touch with what our guests like,” said Hamlin, adding that his chef is also proficient at creating meals for vegans by simply placing an advance call.

Pecan pie was tempting, but out of the question after gorging under the gaze of blessed voodoo dolls and a stuffed fox mounted artistically above the kitchen. Sweet potato brownies and banana bread pudding were also in the offing.

In addition to daily dinner service, the restaurant offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, although Hamlin and his team are preparing to extend it to seven days a week in the coming months.