Chef Steve Phelps’ path from culinary curiosity to collaboration

 Indigenous is one of Sarasota’s newer restaurants, having celebrated its first anniversary in late September. Even though it is young, the restaurant’s style, character, culinary concepts and overall dining experience is making an impact on Sarasota foodies. I recently chatted with Indigenous chef and owner Steve Phelps to get the backstory on how Indigenous came to be and where it might be going. Here is what I learned.

JLQ: Although many people may know your background, many more do not. Can you share with us how you started in the culinary world?

Steve Phelps: I grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. I often visited my uncle, who was a chef and restaurateur in Akron. Always looking for something to do while visiting, I spent time in his kitchens helping out and learning basic skills. Eventually I was given the opportunity to earn some money by doing odd jobs around the kitchen, like peeling potatoes for five bucks. Five dollars for an 11-year-old kid was a lot of money.

JLQ: I suspect earning “good money” at the age of 11 makes an impression?

SP: Indeed. I quickly learned basic kitchen skills could always be used to earn some money.

JLQ: How so?

SP: When I was a teenager I had the opportunity to work at the Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland. Actually, I worked as a caddy in the morning and in the kitchen at night. It was the perfect set-up for me.

JLQ: So you were getting a great deal of culinary experience at an early age. Did you receive any formal culinary training or education along the way?

SP: I went to Ohio State and community college, where I completed a certificate program in hospitality management. At the same time, I was still working part time in various restaurants and continuing to hone my culinary skills. Even though I was learning a great deal about food and its preparation, it was still just a way for me to earn some money.

JLQ: So you were not sure the culinary path was your intended profession? What changed?

SP: I was 20 years old and still trying to figure out what I should do. I noticed Hyde Park Steakhouse was hiring staff and decided to apply. I literally walked in on a whim and to my surprise, I was hired. Ron Driscoll, the executive chef of Hyde Park, took a chance in hiring me. I realized this was a big break for me and I made a commitment to myself to learn as much as I could from the experience.

JLQ: Tell me about the experience and your learnings.

SP: I started at an entry level pantry position and worked my way up. I would come in one to two hours before my shift just so I could help out in the kitchen or learn something new from the chefs. I did this as a regular part of my routine and it worked out very well. Not only did I learn more culinary techniques, my ambition to advance was also noted. Within two years, I was sous chef for the downtown location. Within five years, I was the head chef in a new downtown location. This was a very big responsibility for someone my age!

JLQ: What a great place to professionally “cut your culinary teeth.”

SP: I was at Hyde Park for a total of seven years. The experience was tremendous. It opened doors for me. I was able to network with other chefs, share ideas, gain contacts and learn. As I was trying to figure out my next steps, I worked a few culinary jobs.

JLQ: What brought you to Sarasota?

SP: My wife was going to attend Ringling College, so we moved here in 2001. I was not exactly sure yet what I wanted to do, but my background and experience created opportunities. I worked at a number of Sarasota restaurants, such as The Hillview Grill, The Alley Cat Café, Mattison’s Steakhouse at the Plaza, The Canvas Café and The Bijou Café. For nine to ten years I was studying Sarasota and trying to figure out what type of restaurant might work here.

JLQ: What did you conclude?

SP: I wanted to start a restaurant that was all-inclusive. Since we were in Florida, outdoor space was a must. I wanted to create a feeling of “locality;” in other words, something that makes you feel connected, part of the community. I met Kyle Cross, a local designer, to discuss my concept and he took it further.

JLQ: How so?

SP: Beyond the initial concept for Indigenous, which included local ingredients, reclaimed wood, native plants, etc., Kyle suggested a logo contest open to the Sarasota community. We held an event at The Shamrock Pub asking the local community to submit designs for our logo. Although we did not pick just one design as the winner, we did pick elements from a number of entries for our final logo. It was a great deal of fun and underscored the local community concept we are trying to foster.

JLQ: Indigenous just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Where are you taking the restaurant in year two and beyond?

SP: We will continue to build upon the concept of locality, educating, informing and entertaining. Events like our recent Duck, Duck, Goose bring an element of collaboration and community which we like and will continue. We are learning and doing more in the area of sourcing locally, foraging and heritage cooking. We are attempting to learn as much as we can so it can be shared with our customers and the community at large.

JLQ: That is ambitious, exciting and time consuming. What keeps you going?

SP: I am trying to live and learn. I had the opportunity to educate myself on cuisine and cooking techniques. I learned from others and continue to do so. But now I want to share my information with the Sarasota community. I want to give something back.

 I am not really interested in opening five more restaurants. I would rather have 1 restaurant that can change the community.

JLQ: Thank you Steve for your time today. There really is so much more to explore---perhaps another article in the future?

SP: You are welcome. As you can see from my enthusiasm, I can go on for hours about this type of food movement and our potential role. Thank you.