There’s barely room to swing a cat at The Wood Shack Soulard, but that doesn’t matter; what it lacks in size it makes up for in taste. And smells. This is not a barbecue restaurant in the strictest sense, says chef and owner Chris Delgado, but a smokehouse. And one woodsy whiff tells you you’re in for a treat.
The Wood Shack opened last year and almost at once made this magazine’s 2017 A-List for best spicy sandwich. The Ragin’ Cajun (turkey breast with bourbon bacon jam, havarti, and avocado) is still a customer favorite, Delgado says, but so is the Soulard Primer. This outrageous creation combines ribeye with caramelized onions, arugula, blue cheese, bone marrow aioli, and “debris” (the delicious, savory pickings from the meat slicer).
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Smoking is a new thing for Delgado (he came to The Wood Shack from One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar in Kirkwood) and he thinks carefully about the process, matching different woods to different meats, considering smoke an ingredient as well as a cooking method.
Mulberry and sassafras go well with prime rib, for example, while oak and mesquite compliment pork belly. He smokes his chicken over cherry wood; his turkey over maple or pecan. The meat, he explains, is actually cooked by a heated coil, which simply smoulders the wood. There are no open flames to speak of. “I just wanted to try something different,” he says. “Most restaurants aren’t doing their own smoking.”
Delgado says he was keen to make his menu affordable (most sandwiches are under $12) and is mindful of customers who may want a less heavy meal. Lighter options, then, include the smoked chicken wrap (pictured above), and cherry-smoked jackfruit that is combined with kale, arugula, and avocado. Delgado also is developing his catering menu. Slider rolls are perfect for parties or business lunches, and come stuffed with things like house-smoked ham (the Hammy), smoked chicken and tomato jam (the Voodoo) and shaved, smoke-roasted pork loin.
He’s having fun with brunch as well. Breakfast burritos are taking off. “I load them up with tater tots, house ham, beef… whatever I’m feeling that day.” The Elvis sandwich is a riotous combination of sautéed banana, scrambled eggs, and house-smoked bacon between two chocolate chip waffles. “I do it to mess around,” Delgado says. “But it works.”
All this alchemy happens in The Wood Shack’s pocket kitchen with a total of five staffers. Among them is Delgado’s wife, Hope Blumeyer, who is the self-declared cleaner/interior designer. She is responsible for the cozy, woodsy feel of the tiny restaurant, all the touches that encourage lunch, brunch, and dinner guests to savor the entire experience.
