As a kid, Joshua Hamlin toured with the Grateful Dead and Ike & Tina Turner. He wasn’t on banjo. He was with his dad, a production specialist for the iconic ’60s bands. He spent time on various communes, which explains the communal dinners he’s planning for Monday nights at his upcoming restaurant, American Voodoo (4655 Park Blvd.). At each meal, there’ll be a speaker. “Astrophysicists, poets, cobblers, that sort of thing,” he says. “What I loved about being on the road with the bands was there was always a communal dinner.”
Hamlin’s father sent him to live with his mother in Chula Vista when he was 11. After graduating, he moved to San Francisco and did what all good kids did in the 90s; he threw rave parties. At 22, he moved to Vancouver to join the film scene, directing a feature film about the underground dance life called Late Night Sessions. It got distribution in 22 countries. He briefly worked on a scrapped film about band leader Artie Shaw, with Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company and Johnny Depp both involved. Then he produced the film 508 Nelson.
Now he’s producing this 1,152 square-foot restaurant in University Heights with some of his childhood friends. American Voodoo will serve Americana/Creole food. Scott Smith, the longtime second-in-charge at Bread & Cie, will star as baker. “We’ll have a build-your-own-biscuit,” says Hamlin. “You can put avocado, eggs, bacon, whatever you want on it. Having lived in the South, I love a good biscuit and gravy. There’s nothing more Southern than a good biscuit.”
His girlfriend painted the murals in the bathroom and on the wall. He also has 30 voodoo dolls, handcrafted by his mother during her time in New Orleans. His friend and photographer Jennifer Tsar contributed a bunch of oddities. There will be a living plant wall, built into wooden frames pulled from the old Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.
“Of course it’s a big trend right now—sustainability,” he says. “But that’s the way I was raised as a hippy kid. Just taking what you need from the land. Almost everything At American Voodoo is reclaimed.”
The interior looks like shaman pop art. Peyote chic. And it should fit just fine in the creative funk haven of University Heights. “I fell in love with this space,” says Hamlin. “We want to build a sense of community. University Heights has that.”
The expected open is September (could be October, hopefully not November).
MENU GLIMPSE:
Peach & Habanero Glazed Cornish Game Hen with Corn Pudding, Sunchoke Purée, and Apple-Taso Mustard Greens
Braised Pork Short Rib with Apple Fennel Dressing, Baby Carrots, Cherry Pork Jus
Pecan Crusted Trout with Poached Artichokes, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Lemon Caper Sauce
West Coast Scampi (Baja Prawns, Avocado, Garlic, Diced Cantaloupe, and Cilantro)
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
INCOMING: American Voodoo
INCOMING: American Voodoo
INCOMING: American Voodoo
INCOMING: American Voodoo
INCOMING: American Voodoo
