A husband, fisherman and musician, Steve Phelps began cooking at the age of 13 at his uncle’s restaurant in Ohio. Realizing it was both fun and lucrative, he worked his way up through a series of jobs over the years, eventually earning an opportunity as sous-chef at the prestigious Hyde Park Steakhouse flagship. Chef Steve credits this time as an intensive ‘School of Hard Knocks’ -style education in the restaurant business. He thrived in the high-pressure environment and was eventually given a chance to shine as executive chef at Cleveland’s top dining destination.

After seven years at Hyde Park, Chef Steve began working at a place called Fat Cats in Cleveland’s Tremont area, the most happening food scene around at the time. He fell in with a great network of chefs, including Iron Chef Michael Symon, who inspired each other through friendly competition. As a result, local foodies quickly embraced the area.

In 2001, Chef Steve and his wife Kim moved to Sarasota so she could attend Ringling College of Art and Design while he worked as chef at Hillview Grill and later the famed Alley Cat Café. After a brief opportunity in Miami at celebrity chef Norman Van Aken’s restaurant, Chef Steve opened Mattison’s Steakhouse on Longboat Key as executive chef for Paul Mattison, working there for three years and earning them a Golden Spoon Award.

He took over as chef at Canvas Café in 2007, propelling the hit restaurant until its unexpected close, and then moved to The Bijou Café, revamping their existing menu with a seasonal focus. In spring 2011, Chef Steve began to pursue the opportunity to open his own restaurant, Indigenous, working with a talented group of professionals to realize his personal vision of a great local restaurant.