Dana Dumas has brought all the elements together to make “Southern hospitality” a palpable presence. At SugarJam The Southern Kitchen, good vibes from the wait staff and the eclectic décor combine with good food.
The restaurant owes its start to Dumas’s “jammies” — her jam-filled sugar-cookie sandwiches she sold first at farmers markets and street fairs. But the menu’s origins go much deeper — to her experiences as a child with a father whose work took him throughout the South and gave him opportunity to soak up a varied treasure of cuisines. Inheriting his wealth of recipes and love of creating new ones, she developed her own take for her repertoire of signature Southern dishes.
Fried chicken makes multiple appearances on the menu, one being the French Toast N’ Fried Chicken. Buttermilk-battered chicken tenders, fried, are placed on Grand Marnier-marinated challah slices and served with two eggs, rum pecan syrup and house-made vanilla butter.
Grits is an of course on the menu. Belying the name, grits in Dumas’s treatment is smooth, fluffy and creamy. It’s a great complement to the seasoned mains in the Catfish N’ Southern Grits Meal, the Salmon Croquettes and Southern Grits Meal and the Creole Shrimp N’ Grits Meal (which also includes two handmade crab balls). Dumas’s signature chipotle remoulade, drizzled to taste, adds a strong peppery kick.
Fish N’ Chips, SugarJam style, is battered and fried filets of catfish served with flavorfully seasoned French fries.
Dishes that come with a buttermilk biscuit — large, fresh and crumbly — give patrons a chance to also enjoy the house-made strawberry jam with the intensified flavor that comes from lemon zest.
Defying the odds, Dumas opened her restaurant in January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic that was challenging the entire restaurant industry. The décor gives an ambience of age, with walls of weathered brick and vine-covered dividers. Artwork is noteworthy, created especially for SugarJam and celebrating its cuisine.
SugerJam The Southern Kitchen
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale
(480) 948-6210
Belgian Waffle N’ Fried Chicken Delicate Belgian waffle served with two eggs, fried chicken tenders, butter and maple syrup, garnished with fresh strawberries $19.95 |
Creole Shrimp N’ Grits Seven sautéed shrimp in creole gravy topped with two handmade crab balls layered on top creamy southern-style grits served with two eggs $25.95 |
Lobster Mac N’ Cheese with Fried Shrimp Smoked gouda lobster mac n’ cheese topped with fried lobster drizzled with house-made chipotle rémoulade sauce and 3 fried shrimp $36.95 |
Photos courtesy of SugarJam The Southern Kitchen
