18 Dec 21st–Dec 27th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | powdery coatings, and I can’t get my mind off the dill pickle wings, caked with fragrant dill and what I can only presume is a boat- load of vinegar powder. Even wilder is his fully loaded wings, and I won’t even attempt to deconstruct those. They’ve got a tart pucker followed by a bit of cayenne burn and a whole mess of who-knows-what that sets your synapses popping off like a string of firecrackers. This is a sensory rush I highly recommend. I also love his wet lemon pepper wings, which flip the wet/dry convention on its ear. And one day I caught him playing around with an Asian-styled wing with stir-fried scallions and a sizzling chile crisp sauce that he said he got from “Dom.” “Dom who?” “Ruggiero, from Hush (Public House).” I note the connection. Later, when we get to talking, I learn that while Devan and Sharon might be hiding from the public in an office building, they’re already beloved within the local restaurant community. And the love is mutual. Please California my Arizona Turns out, it was the rock stars of the Phoenix dining scene who lured Sharon away from California. She recounts attending a party where Devan introduced her to his newfound industry friends in Phoenix. “Talking with Rene (Andrade) from Bacanora and Armando (Hernandez, of Tacos Chiwas and others) kind of triggered us to come out here,” she says. “Scott (Holmes) from Little Miss (BBQ), he actu- ally told us, he says, ‘Close down California, come out here.’ Who does that?” Sharon was floored by a sense of community she’d never seen among restau- rant owners before. “It’s not a competition. They support each other and everybody in (Devan’s) group of folks, they’re family. And that whole circle — the love. In California, every- body is cutthroat. I don’t think any other city really has the camaraderie that the community here in Phoenix has,” she says. While Sharon continues to rattle off a litany of local chefs who have supported her and her son, Devan piles on. “I think part of it is we want to see the city grow and we want it to be recognized and loved,” Devan says. “If I see you’re doing something great but you don’t necessarily know how to get it out there? Come here. Let me help you out. Come tag along with me and we can do this together. I definitely have seen that as a thing that builds this community.” Sunday love The first Sunday of the month is Soul Food Sunday, and on a recent visit, CC’s is packed. This is the day Sharon takes over the kitchen, and the menu changes every month. Could be barbecue, could be oxtails, could be smothered okra. Today, it’s fried chicken, plump and juicy with a thick, crisp dredge and a heavy- handed spice. A simple side of braised cabbage and some devastating yams — sweet but not too sweet — also have my attention. Take a bite of Sharon’s desserts, though, and it all makes sense. There’s blue velvet cake, sweet, soft as silk and bursting with blueberries. Her Church Lemon Cake takes no prisoners with a sharp, acidic pucker to cut the intense sweetness. Have a little too much of her bread pudding and you might go home drunk. There’s bourbon and rum in there, and its eggy curd slides down so easily you might not notice how much you’re imbibing until it’s too late. These aren’t restaurant desserts. They’re homestyle desserts, made by some- body who just wants you to feel at home. “The world is a crazy place as it is, and as I say, food has no color lines and we should be coming together to work together and support and build up and help where we can,” Sharon says. “How every- body here comes together, it just feels so good to be welcomed and feel that love.” Can you taste it? I don’t know. But you can absolutely feel it. CC’s on Central 2800 N. Central Ave. 602-253-9220 7 a.m.-2:45 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday (wings and fries only); 1 p.m.-6 p.m. first Sunday of the month (Soul Food Sunday). Breakfast and lunch sandwiches, $8-$14; Mains $9-$16; Wings $12; Sunday platters $30. CC’s on Central offers breakfast staples, including light and fluffy pancakes along with hearty dishes such as the debris and grits — tender, saucy stewed beef on top of creamy, rough-hewn corn grits and uniquely flavored wings. (Photos by Dominic Armato) ‘Food for the Soul’ from p 17
