Tucked away on the ground floor of the 2800 Tower office complex, CC’s on Central may sit on Phoenix’s main drag, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to find. You’re not likely to happen upon it as you’re walking down the street or notice it as you whiz by in your car. It helps to know how to get there ahead of time and, unless you know something I don’t, it’s best to park in the Tower’s parking garage (the good news is: your ticket will be validated, and there seems to be no time limit). Unless you work in the Tower, getting there takes a tad more effort, so I worry that CC’s won’t get the kind of business it deserves, business that involves a broader audience than the office workers who likely drop in for morning coffee, breakfast sandwiches and burritos and Southern-style lunches with emphasis on Cajun-Creole traditions.
Owners Sharon and Devan Cunningham, a mother-son duo who also own a restaurant called Sharon’s Creole Kitchen in Murrieta, California, have family roots in Louisiana and Mississippi, which explains why two of the three dishes I’ve tried so far have a homey, lived-in quality. Additionally, Devan has run his own catering company (The Good Food Table) here in Phoenix since 2017 (apparently, he is famous for his wings). Before that, he worked for Stephen Jones at DeSoto before Jones opened The Larder and the Delta, an experience that surely helps explain a few dishes that reflect global influence and a certain chef-y flair.
Now if only the hot food had been delivered piping hot! Instead, both the shrimp and grits and the red beans and rice were barely lukewarm when they hit the table some 20 or 30 minutes after we ordered them. Who knows why, given the paucity of customers at the time? But this is a new restaurant, and glitches of one sort or another are to be expected.
Initial disappointment aside, it was impossible not to recognize how good the shrimp and grits were, no matter their temperature. The grits themselves were creamy, cheesy and faintly sweet, tasting of corn and bearing the faintly gritty texture that gives the dish its name. They were made with yellow cornmeal (not white), which surely made the difference in flavor. The shrimp had their own sweetness, and the tomato-y, sausage-studded sauce in which they sat was rich and vivid, sharpened by slivers of pungent green onion. I’d need a shrimp-and-grits refresh to be dead certain, but off the top, this is one of the better versions I’ve had in Phoenix ($15.95).
I really didn’t realize just how good the red beans and rice were until I heated them up at home the next day. In the restaurant, they looked a bit plain and dull compared to the online menu’s sexy picture. A sausage link no longer than my thumb (maybe shorter) was all we got, which was mystifying, given that there seemed to be more sausage in the shrimp and grits! Nor was I aware of smoked turkey and more sausage (slow cooked with the beans, according to the menu) in the beans, but no matter. The point is: The beans (the famous Camellia red kidney beans of New Orleans) had a terrific Cajun-y kick and loads of deep flavor. That said, I’d rather pay more and get a bit more meat to go with them. Twelve bucks for a small portion of beans and rice seems high.
The Dat Turkey sandwich was a completely different animal — messy, eclectic and slightly oddball. My friend and I really liked it. A toasted focaccia roll, smeared with tangy harissa verde mayo, was layered with smoked turkey, olive tapenade and arugula, while a melty overlay of smoked cheddar oozed from the bun ($14.55). The sandwich came with crispy house-made chips. The only problem — a piece of plastic wrap (from the turkey, maybe?) that showed up in the sandwich.
Although the menu lists a slew of cookies and cakes, CC’s was out of all of them this day. My friend and I sat around talking and drinking iced tea, and eventually, we were rewarded with complimentary Creole rice beignets (called calas) from the chef. Dusted with powdered sugar, they were hot, puffy, chocolate-y and delish.
CC’s is a fun find. Once they get a few kinks worked out, I’ll be hungry for more.
2800 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-253-9220, ccsoncentral.com
