It's been great listening to all the positive feedback from guests who attended The 100 Mile Dinner on Monday, March 26th.  We would like to thank Edible Sarasota and all of our guests for a truly memorable evening.  We at Indigenous love to educate our guests, and these dinner events are perfect way of doing so.  We are thinking 200 Miler Dinner next...

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, chef, Chef Steve, florida, local, steve phelps, event

 

read the full story

Join us on Monday, March 26, 2012 for a unique dining experience in conjunction with Edible Sarasota Magazine.  The 100 Mile Dinner will feature Chef Steve Phelps and his six course menu using items foraged, gathered, or sorced within 100 miles of Sarasota.  The dinner will be paired with libations that are equally sourced or have a direct link to the area.  Seating is limited to 50 guests. Price is $100 per person + tax and gratuity. Call  941.706.4740 for reservations.

 

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, Kim Longstreet, restaurant, sarasota, chef, Chef Steve, florida, local, steve phelps, event, 100, mile, dinner, edible, seasonal, gathered, sourced, foraged

 

read the full story

Seasons change and so do we here at Indigenous.  We are rolling out our updated menu this Saturday!  Here is a sneak peak at one of our new desserts, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries three ways. Oatmeal Crisp and Mint Syrup.

Chef Steve has taken advantage of the peak strawberry and citrus season and put together some unforgetable creations on our new menu. The new menu will be posted to our website this weekend as well as more photos to entice you.  Check back soon.

 

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, chef, Chef Steve, local, Menu, steve phelps, dessert

 

read the full story

Tis the Season...

So the saying goes.  What could make your friends and family more jolly than enjoying a great evening at Indigenous?  By dining with us you are also helping support local farmers, fisherman, and other businesses. 

Indigenous gift cards are the perfect gift this holiday season and are available at any price point starting at $20.  They are available for purchase Monday through Saturday.  Stop by and pick yours up today.  Happy Holidays!

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, Kim Longstreet, restaurant, sarasota, Chef Steve, Menu, steve phelps, DogStreet Pet Photography, Holidays, Christmas, voucher, certificate, card, Gift

 

read the full story

The Holidays are here already.  We have great news if you are planning a last minute party for your friends, family, or business.  The Indigenous bar is a perfect place for parties up to 22 people and can be exclusively yours for a small fee. We have outdoor space where we can accomodate you as well.  There are plenty of dates still available. Please call to inquire. 941.706.4740. Happy Holidays!

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, Kim Longstreet, restaurant, sarasota, chef, Chef Steve, florida, local, steve phelps, wine, craft beer, local beer, DogStreet Pet Photography, phelps, steve, holiday, Bar, Holidays, Christmas, New Years, Party, cocktail

 

read the full story

Wow, it has been two months since we opened the restaurant and everything has been going so well!  Even with the cooler nights outside we have been booked every weekend night since the opening. Response is amazing towards the ambiance, food, service etc., but the big standout is that people are going absolutely bonkers over the Wild Mushroom Bisque.  This creamy, earthy bowl of love is a unique blend of dried porcini’s, fresh shiitakes and cremini’s with brown butter rye croutons and truffle oil.  Some guests say they could eat it everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even one guest claims she could “bathe’ in this soup for therapy……well ok…its damn good.  Going through approximately 6 cases of each type of mushroom a week, this soup is in constant production daily!  Looks like we will be keeping this one on the menu through the winter as we prepare to make the seasonal menu change from late summer/fall to winter for the season……….yummers!

and tagged with indigenous, Kim Longstreet, restaurant, sarasota, bisque, chef, Chef Steve, florida, fresh, local, Menu, mushroom, produce, soup, steve phelps, sustainable, wild

 

read the full story

We were so happy to have The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce out to Indigenous for our official ribbon cutting before we open the doors of the restaurant tomorrow! Thanks to Kim Longstreet/DogStreet Photography for this great shot.

Being involved in the Chamber is truly important to any local business because of their network — they’re involved in a little bit of everything, not only in Sarasota, but also in the state of Florida as a whole.

We’re also very grateful for the Chamber’s development director, Matt Gower (pictured above, at left). He’s been helping us since day one to get involved with the Chamber, and as a result they were also excited to be here and see the finished product. We can’t wait for you all to see it this weekend too! Call (941)706-4740 for your reservation.

and tagged with chamber, dining, DogStreet Photography, food, indigenous, Kim Longstreet, Matt Gower, restaurant, ribbon cutting, sarasota, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce

 

read the full story

 

We are making lots of progress readying Indigenous to open and are especially excited to show off the redesigned dining room. First, our beautiful tables were custom-made by the Carpentry Hut to fit the exact specifications of our space. Since we built an additional dining area, we left the main room very spacious and spread out the tables. There’s not an uncomfortable seat in the place.

We also kept the color palate soft and natural to take advantage of all the windows in the house. The dining room is like a chameleon as the sun moves from east to west throughout the day — each hour the room has a different look, so you’ll never feel like you’re in the same place twice. The artwork is going to be a surprise too, but count on Chef showing his personality through the pieces on the walls.

Overall we just can’t help but be impressed by how sexy this place has turned out to be. That’s the only way we can describe it, and we think that’s a very good thing.

When will we be open so you can experience all this loveliness yourself, you ask? Dinner service starts at 5:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 7. In the meantime, the staff is going through vigorous training on Chef Steve’s desired service while he perfects the menu. Call 706-4740 to reserve your table today!

And definitely follow Indigenous on Facebook and Twitter for news, specials and updates! We’ll see you soon!

 

and tagged with design, dining room, paint, sexy, Carpentry Hut

 

read the full story

Just got our custom printed chef shirts in and the lovely Kim Longstreet of DogStreet Pet Photography snapped this great photo so you all can see a preview.

The best part is that they are made from recycled service station attendant shirts (don’t worry, they’ve been washed), like the kind you’d see with “Phil” or “Bob” embroidered on the front.

Obviously nobody but Phil or Bob would have a use for those, so Walt’s Wholesale Clothing in South Carolina buys up all the leftover old shirts and recycles them. Keeping with our mission of focusing on sustainability and a commitment to the environment, we are finding another use for them.

Using our logo, Austin Kowal of Clothesline screen-printed the shirts for us to come up with a truly unique style. Austin was cool enough to do the printing for all of our uniforms, and he did a great job. Clothesline is another local business we are really proud support. We will also have these lovely shirts for sale in the restaurant if you want to help rep Indigenous, Clothesline and Sarasota!

and tagged with dining, indigenous, Kim Longstreet, sarasota, local, sourcing, chef shirts, Clothesline, custom, printed, recycling, uniforms, Walt's Wholesale Clothing, Austin Kowal

 

read the full story

Along with a great menu, you’ve gotta have a great wine list. And we’re working on building an amazing one.

Truly one of our featured wines, our selections from Porter Family Vineyards are just outstanding. The Porters live half of the year in Sarasota and spend the other half of the year tending to their grapes in Napa, so we’re proud to have another local connection on the wine list. Chef Steve met founder Tom Porter when Tom was a guest at Mattison’s Steak House years ago. They got to be good friends, bonding over a love of great wine and food and Chef even prepared wine dinners at the Porters’ home.

Since Tom purchased his winery in Napa he’s become one of the finest wine producers. We really appreciate that they make very small amounts of their handcrafted wines, which shows how much love and attention they put into it.

Naturally we’re excited to feature Porter Family Vineyards selections as part of our unique wine by the glass program: their 2006 Syrah and 2006 Sandpiper (a cab blend). You can also try their 2009 Chardonnay and 2005 Cabernet by the bottle, but the biggest Porter wine we’ll have is called Time. Tom produced just 24 cases of Time, an estate-grown reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and we’ll be featuring a few on our Captain’s List.

Tom’s already grown a solid Sarasota following for his wines so we know they’ll fit right in at Indigenous. Start your night off with some of Chef’s braised short ribs, for example, order the 2005 Cab and follow it with our skirt steak or pork belly. It will be “just killer,” according to Steve. Looking forward to enjoying it with you soon!

Follow Indigenous on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for news and updates on our menu and much more.

and tagged with sarasota, Chef Steve, local, Porter Family Vineyards, wine, phelps, steve, time, Tom Porter, vineyard

 

read the full story

We’ve been getting to know our neighbors here in the lovely Towles Court District lately and they’ve been getting to know us too. As residents including studio, salon and gallery owners and even District President Bette Stevens pass by in the mornings, we’ve enjoyed chatting with them over a cup of coffee about the changes we’re making to our location. The good news is they’re all very excited for Indigenous to open.

We understand why! We’re not only improving the look of the neighborhood but we’re also going to help improve business by bringing more people to Towles Court, which is quite charming. A lot of Sarasotans still don’t know about the area, but they will, oh, they will…

The tree-shaded enclave began as a golf course built by John Gillespie in 1905 and was transformed into a residential neighborhood in the ’20s by William B. Towles. After falling into disarray, the district was restored in the ’90s by N.J. Olivieri and hundreds of artists passionate about remaking the cottages and bungalows as a local artist colony. Now Towles Court is home to designers, jewelry makers, ceramists, photographers, painters, fiber/glass artists, art therapists, event planners, internet services and even massage.

Their monthly art walks from 6 to 10 p.m. on the third Friday of the month are also very popular and we’re excited to participate when we open next month. There’s always live music and refreshments and all the studios and galleries open their doors and invite people in to enjoy their one-of-a-kind spaces.

We love the “old Florida” appeal of Towles Court with the mossy tress, native plants and original buildings. It truly is amazing —we strolled through just the other day and marveled at the beauty and relaxed vibe, just a few blocks from the hustle of downtown.

And by the way, there is free, open-to-the-public parking in the large lot directly across from 1938 Adams Lane, in addition to free street parking. Just another reason to visit.

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed on all the latest Indigenous news…

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, sarasota, local, sustainable, artist, district, events, restoration, third friday, Towles Court, art walk

 

read the full story

Thank you, Sarasota, for all the interest in Indigenous! We appreciate your many queries about our opening date (this summer!) and menu (online in full soon but you can check out a sneak peek here).

Second only to Chef Steve’s famous scallop succotash, everyone keeps asking “where’s your dessert menu?”

That, too, will be revealed soon. In the meantime, here’s one fantastic dessert description to tide you over:

Imagine a frothy Key Lime curd (a sweet, pudding-like, creamy dessert) made with Nellie & Joe’s Famous Lime Juice and served with fresh ginger shortbread. To this, Chef Steve adds homemade coconut sorbet (dairy free!), topped with his version of Magic Shell. Chef created his own method of turning rich chocolate syrup into a crispy shell after seeing the mile-long ingredients list on the traditional version — and we think his is way better. A sprinkle of crunchy sea salt finishes the presentation, creating a variety of tastes, flavors and sensations combined in your mouth.

“Basically, this is Key Lime Pie on steroids,” says Chef Steve.

We can’t wait to try the Key Lime Curd and the rest of Chef’s outrageous desserts. Follow Indigenous on Facebook and Twitter and be the first to know when we open our doors later this summer!

and tagged with indigenous, sarasota, Chef Steve, florida, steve phelps, key west, dessert, key lime, key lime pie, Magic Shell, Nellie & Joe's Famous Lime Juice

 

read the full story

We know you all have been driving by the restaurant and seeing all the dust and trucks but haven’t seen much progress yet. Well you wouldn’t know it, but the inside is almost complete! Now, you’ll finally start seeing progress outside too.

As of today we’ve installed almost every phase of our reclaimed Florida cypress fence. We’re really proud to be using this recycled wood form Axley Bros. Saw Mill. which avoids cutting down more of our precious natural vegetation and saves ancient cypress trees that otherwise would be left to rot in the depths of Florida’s many swamps. Here’s a link to great article about the history of cypress logging and reclamation, for those who are interested.

We also love the recycled cypress because it retains its raw appearance as the wood is actually still wet. Every day the fence will change in appearance, drying and weathering as time passes. Cypress also doesn’t attract insects like some other woods do.

Things are really taking shape here at Indigenous and it’s looking pretty sweet! Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

and tagged with indigenous, sarasota, Construction, cypress, fence, reclaimed Florida cypress, Axley Bros

 

read the full story

Everybody’s been asking, “Are you gonna do it?” “Will it be on the menu?”

It’s the question I always get. With all the excitement around Indigenous, friends keep bringing up the legendary dish. It was the most popular item on the menu at Canvas Cafe — we went through more than 30 pounds of scallops a week. Yes, they’re talking about my famous scallops with a lobster-edamame succotash and baked parmesan grits.

Well, the answer to your question is yes. I listen to my guests and I listen to my friends so yes, we’re going to put it on the menu!

To me, it was a no-brainer. And while I’d love to do the dish with scallops, the market has gotten to be so high-priced I can’t pass on a great value and quality to my guests, both of which are equally important. Until the scallops get to be a bit more comfortably priced, I’ll be serving the dish with whole Key West Pink Shrimp.

They’re actually one of the most desirable types of shrimp in the world and we’re lucky enough to have them practically right outside our door. The ones we serve here at Indigenous are totally unprocessed and will literally go from the water, to the boat, to the skillet, to your plate.

As you all know, my succotash consists of lobster meat, edamame and sweet summer corn in a rich sherry cream sauce. The dish is also great for the season because corn is at its peak right now. And the kicker — my baked parmesan grits — finishes the plate. Because of the technique we use, people who didn’t like grits before try that preparation and it’s an instant turn on.

Of course I will show a new presentation of the dish, so be ready for a surprise when we set it down in front of you later this summer.

— Chef Steve

and tagged with dining, indigenous, sarasota, Chef Steve, steve phelps, grits, key west, lobster, scallops, shrimp, succotash

 

read the full story

While we’re VERY excited about painting the place today, we’re also continuing to research and review local produce sourcing options. As many of you have no doubt discovered, “ain’t nothin’ better than goin’ to your local market,” as Chef Steve puts it, but during the hot summer months here in Florida the availability really gets low.

So Chef has been out there hitting the pavement at the Sarasota Farmers Market to look at what will be consistently available for the next few months in order to provide a really rockin’ array of mostly local menu items. He’s also continuing to experiment with recipes at home and has some delicious dishes to share with you once we are open this summer.

Here’s an adorable photo of Steve at the Farmers Market this weekend, taken by Kim Longstreet of DogStreet Pet Photography — Kim just also happens to be Steve’s lovely wife.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, if you haven’t already, for all the latest news on construction updates and our open date!

and tagged with indigenous, Kim Longstreet, restaurant, sarasota, Chef Steve, local, steve phelps, sustainable, DogStreet Pet Photography, farmers market, Sarasota Farmers Market

 

read the full story

As you may have noticed, our beverage selections are integral to the Indigenous experience and Chef Steve has been busy drinking, we mean researching, all the best that Florida has to offer.

Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing Company has a number of tasty brews available and we’re pleased to offer their Jai Alai India Pale Ale as a great pairing with many of our menu items.

The Jai Alai IPA has a very high alcohol content, a strong hop/malt blend and slightly toasted, citrusy bitterness that will be perfect with Chef’s special burger, made with beautiful grass fed beef we told you about last week. Just wait till you taste this burger alongside a frosty IPA! Chef’s recipe was passed down from his uncle years ago in Cleveland and he’s been waiting for the perfect moment to unleash its uniqueness on Sarasota. It’s almost time.

and tagged with dining, food, indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, local, craft beer, Jai Alai India Pale Ale, local beer

 

read the full story

We’re making slow progress on the physical redesign of the restaurant, and one thing we’re excited about is our new open kitchen window.

This used to be a wall between the dining room and the kitchen but the construction team got the bones of the window frame in today. Designer Jason Champion and Chef Steve envision lightly tinted glass and a single table underneath it, which will be the new “chef’s table.” Jason is also creating a cool frame for the window using recycled metal that will be uniquely lit.

“Now they can watch me, and I can watch them,” jokes Chef. “It’s like seeing the monkeys at the zoo!”

and tagged with indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, steve phelps, Construction, Jason Champion

 

read the full story

While the restaurant continues its massive physical transformation, Chef Steve is busy hunting down the best sources for sustainable and abundant veggies, seafood and of course, delicious beef. We’re proud to say we will source grass fed beef from Deep Creek Ranch, Inc., a Certified Humane provider out of DeLand, Fla.

Part of the reason Chef chose Deep Creek is for their location here in Florida — it’s not too far away, which saves a lot on transportation costs. While their are lots of great beef options in the midwest, burning gas has many negative impacts, the least of which is the cost. So we’re opting to spend more money on a better quality product and staying true to our commitment to embracing local sources whenever possible.

Plus, Deep Creek Ranch is quite an amazing farm. They rear a breed of cattle called “South Poll” (which, an as aside that the music fan in Chef Steve loves, Teddy Gentry from rock band Alabama originated) that is one of the most flavorful as far as both texture and tenderness go. And there are no grains in their diet  — many don’t realize that in their natural state, cows do not eat corn — so they are free to roam and consume the grass they like, which is very important to the flavor of the beef.

Steve will use this grass fed beef for his famous burger as well as a flavorful hanger steak. As he says, ultimately, “it’s all what you do with it and how you prepare it. Technique is everything.”

and tagged with indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, chef, local, steve phelps, sourcing, beef, beef certified humane, grassfed, south poll, teddy gentry

 

read the full story

Okay, menu sneak peek for you all! One of the starters Chef Steve has confirmed are his Crispy Parmesan Beignets accompanied by Florida Orange Blossom Honey, Pears and Spice-Glazed Pistachios. The only word is yum.

But all that crispy sweetness is sure to make you thirsty, and that’s why we’re also excited to offer a great selection of artisanal beers and wines with a local focus. The variety of beers available in Florida is better than we expected —  our friend A.D. Lewis from J.J. Taylor Distributing has helped us to select the Orange Blossom Pilsner from Orlando, for one.

The OBP is going to be killer paired with our Crispy Parmesan Beignets, and so is Porter Family Vineyards’ 2009 Chardonnay. The Porters live half of the year in Sarasota and spend the other half of the year tending to their grapes in Napa, so we’re proud to have another local connection on our wine list.

It’s been a tough job finding all these tasty beverages to share with you, Sarasota, but we’re going to keep up the hard work until we open this summer! Join us then to try them all yourself.

and tagged with indigenous, restaurant, sarasota, chef, florida, local, Menu, steve phelps, A.D. Lewis, beer, J.J. Taylor Distribting, Orange Blossom Pilsber, Porter Family Vineyards, wine

 

read the full story

In the first of what will be a series on Chef Steve’s sourcing research for Indigenous, we’re bringing you some information about Babé Farms, one of our produce providers.

If you live and cook in Florida, you know it’s tough to find good fresh veggies once it starts getting hot, so it’s important to source great ingredients from other areas. Babé Farms is located in Santa Maria, Calif., and was founded in 1986 by William Souza, a third generation conventional farmer who was inspired by traveling Europe and discovering the popularity of baby-sized fresh produce — hence “Babé Farms.”

They remain a family-style farming business and were named Santa Barbara County’s 2010 “Farmer of the Year.” According to their mission, Babé Farms maintains superior quality, innovation and genuine customer relationships, and that’s why we are looking to them during the rough summer season when we have hardly any availability locally.

Babé Farms will supply Indigenous with fresh bok choy from which Chef Steve will make kimchi to accompany his famous braised short ribs. He’ll also order parsley root to use as a puree with arctic char and will certainly always have something from their amazing assortment of baby lettuces for salads.

Come on in when we open this summer to try all of these dishes and more! Stay tuned to the blog and our Facebook page for as they happen updates.

and tagged with dining, restaurant, sarasota, chef, fresh, produce, steve phelps, sourcing, downtown, William Souza, babé Farms

 

read the full story