Patrons’ Well-Trodden Path Belies Obscurity of Flavorful Boondocks

The truth is that, until very recently, I had never been to or heard of The Boondocks restaurant. This did not trouble me in the slightest until I was informed that in a recent American Express poll that asked cardholders to name their favorite restaurant, the place received more votes than any other in San Diego County.

The results of the poll, an American Express spokeswoman admitted, were not gathered in a scientific fashion. However, the fact remains that Gustaf Anders, Sheppard’s, Mille Fleurs and other top spots all honor American Express credit cards, and they were beaten out by a place every bit as obscure as The Boondocks’ name implies.

Since The Boondocks sits in the shadow of Grossmont Center, the restaurant really is not off the beaten path, although its location in a rather drab strip shopping center does nothing to glamorize it. Proprietor Greg Pool calls his establishment the best-kept secret in San Diego.

It can’t really be that well-kept a secret, because credit card holders apparently idolize the place, and it certainly was jammed at 6 p.m. Sunday. Reservations, in fact, are suggested, a situation which speaks volumes, because reservations are rarely needed anywhere in this restaurant-sated county.

The Boondocks is very much a neighborhood-style place (San Diego could use many more like it), not at all fancy, and not necessarily worth a long drive to anyone who’s looking for a big night on the town.

But those fortunate souls who already know The Boondocks have discovered an interesting paradox: while the menu is pretty much an exemplar of the classic San Diego restaurant list, it is the menu that sets this place apart. This is because the restaurant, just like the restaurants of the era that preceded all the glitzy but misbegotten chain feederies, not only is serious about cooking things well, but also employs numerous house recipes that set it apart from the typical steak-salad-baked-potato eateries.

The menu winds through a long recitation of steaks, prime rib cuts, San Diego shellfish favorites such as king crab and Australian lobster tails, a couple of fresh fish of the day, and the ubiquitous chicken teriyaki. But it also includes nice surprises found nowhere else, such as a chicken breast amandine sauced with a touch of amaretto liqueur, an exquisite house version of pepper steak, and, in the side dish category, potatoes Odessa. The Russian name implies caviar, and that is exactly what these baked spuds include, along with a shot of vodka (!) and a healthy spoonful of sour cream. The Odessa version is offered as an alternative to a plain old baked potato, or to the very nicely done steak fries.

Wonder of wonders, The Boondocks does not offer clam chowder, but rather a soup or two of the day, of which the choice recently included lima bean with ham and a smooth, creamy, absolutely delicious cheddar cheese creation spiked with bits of smoky ham and piquant pimento. Meals include the choice of soup or salad, and by all means choose the soup; the salad, while unobjectionable, also is unremarkable, consisting mostly of that unvirtuous stepsister of the salad bowl, iceberg lettuce.

The menu does not trouble to list appetizers, since meals include all the food one could reasonably want, starting with a complimentary plate of fried, breaded zucchini fingers that arrives piping hot moments after the guests place their orders. A basket of good, hot, crusty French bread also accompanies the meal. (The same logic that dismisses appetizers also makes short work of desserts, of which two or three uninteresting, catered examples are offered.)

Depending on one’s point of view, the sterling dish may be that which the menu calls Chicago pepper steak. Pepper steak, except in the bastardized version that uses sauteed bell peppers, is a simple enough item in which the meat is coated with cracked peppercorns and sauteed; fancier places may flame it in brandy and pour the resulting pan gravy over the steak.

In The Boondocks’ version, a fine New York strip receives the usual pepper coating, but is finished with a gilding of good sauce bordelaise and a mountainous topping of sauteed mushrooms and scallions mixed with crumbled bacon. This combination was remarkably good, and it said much about the function of simple imagination in the restaurant trade. The problem is, most places just don’t have much imagination.

A trio of jumbo shrimp, generously stuffed with shredded crab, were almost on the same plateau as the pepper steak, thanks to their sheer size and the virtuosity with which they were cooked. A creamy seafood sauce, somewhat on the lines of that which would complete a Newburgh dish, moistened the shrimp, and was quite nicely done.

The chicken breast amandine received the same individualized care, having been rolled in flour before being tossed in hot butter, so that it had a tasty, golden crust. The topping of sauteed almonds had the pungent taste and aroma typical of this preparation, but with the nice twist of the splash of amaretto that was added to the pan as a flavoring agent.

Again, this restaurant is in no way fancy; it is instead quite comfortable and cheerful. Paneling and bookshelves line the walls, and preferred seating is at maroon vinyl banquettes that recall an earlier era. The servers, relatively informal in their approach, perform quite well, and the brief wine list manages to offer only a bare minimum of choices.

THE BOONDOCKS.

8320 Parkway Drive, La Mesa.

465-3660.

Dinner served nightly, 5-9:30 p.m.; until 10:30 p.m. weekends.

Credit cards accepted.

Dinner for two, with a glass of house wine each, tax and tip, $25 to $45.