If you eat seafood, then Chef Steve Phelps wants you to know something—like, actually know something—about what you’re consuming. That striped bass at the grocery store seafood counter—where did it come from? The tuna melt you ordered for lunch from your favorite diner—how was that fish caught?
Steve is co-owner and head chef of Indigenous. Since he opened the restaurant in 2011, it’s become one of the most sought-after dinner reservations in Sarasota, and Steve was a two-time semi-finalist for James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef South award.
He’s also stepped into a role as one of the area’s most vocal advocates for responsible seafood consumption. Dalia first met Steve during a screening of the PBS docuseries Hope in the Water, and she invited him on the podcast to do a deep dive (sorry, couldn’t resist!) about how restaurant goers and home cooks can enjoy seafood responsibly. In this conversation, Steve shares:
- The biggest threats to ocean life
- Why he’s a vocal aquaculture advocate
- How he and the team at Indigenous educate seafood consumers
- Questions to ask when you dine out or buy seafood at a market
- Under-the-radar seafoods you should try
- And more
