American Voodoo To Put A Spell On University Heights

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Inside American Voodoo, a new restaurant coming to Park Boulevard, there's a wall lined with found objects and miscellany, from small taxidermy to jars and bottles filled with mysterious contents — a collection of curios from a New York artist and friend of co-owner Joshua Hamlin. Other friends and artists are contributing their own custom craftsmanship, from constructing tables to painting outdoor window and wall murals.

Hamlin, a filmmaker who splits his time between San Diego and NYC, has traveled to every state in the U.S. and says that American Voodoo's menu will also be a curated endeavor, a cherry-picked selection of dishes that reflect the American regional food landscape, cooked out of an open kitchen in the 1,100 square-foot restaurant.

His partners in the restaurant are two friends from growing up in Chula Vista; Daniel Sanagustin, once a sous chef at Sally's Seafood On The Water, will manage the kitchen while co-owner Scott Smith will handle all the bread-baking duties. Smith was a former assistant head baker at Bread & Cie and the Hillcrest bakery's owner, Charles Kaufman, has been a mentor to the trio.

The restaurant will serve beer and wine, and be open for lunch and dinner, with a brunch running Thursday through Sunday. The menu's still developing, but there will be an acorn squash stuffed with risotto and a build-a-biscuit section; one option smothers a chicken-fried steak in honey butter and hot sauce. Ingredients will be sourced locally when possible, with some produce coming from Hamlin's own farm in Sonoma County.

Once this University Heights restaurant has established a firm footing, the partners hope to further expand the concept in San Diego.
· Early Plywood Report on American Voodoo [~ESD~]
· All Plywood Report Coverage on Eater [~ESD~]