Local Leaders

Taking it to the curb

Steve Phelps

“We rise by lifting others” —Robert Ingersoll

What can be said about Chef Steve Phelps that hasn’t been said a thousand times before, including by me, including in this magazine? At Edible Sarasota we value all things local, authentic, sustainable, and downright delicious. We value the people who promote and produce and perfect these things. We value the people who fight for these things. Steve Phelps is a hero to us; there’s just no getting around that fact. If Chef Steve were the kind of person to achieve greatness and then rest on his laurels, we might have tired, by now, of talking about a one-hit wonder—but Steve Phelps is no laurel-rester.

I think he would perch on a laurel uncomfortably for about five seconds and then he’d spring into action. He’d want to find out who grows these particular laurels. Are they a local farmer? Do they have an abundance of laurels that will go bad if no one else needs them (for resting and such)? Do they want to partner with Steve and maybe allow him to experiment with their laurels in his humble (award-winning) kitchen? Steve is probably already dreaming of pickled laurels and laurel soup and crumbled laurels served atop a laurel brownie with butternut laurel ice cream.

When COVID-19 shut down the Sarasota Farmers’ Market, Chef Steve offered his space, his time, and his expertise to provide a safe alternative pop-up farmers’ market in the outdoor space at his restaurant, Indigenous. Socially distant and socially responsible and providing contactless pickup for people who rely on fresh vegetables from Homestead Hydroponic Farms, and immunity-boosting sauerkraut from Fermentlicious, and Grove Ladder Farm to name but a few.

At Indigenous, Chef Steve is also working tirelessly to provide some of the most creative and delicious takeaway options currently available in Sarasota: 32 ounces of Chef Steve’s Wild Mushroom Bisque? Yes, please. I’ll take two—and I’ll be sure to come back for some pickled laurels.

Made

Words that describe the flavor profiles of the food and the cocktails at Made: bold, innovative, fresh, comforting, trend-setting.

Words that describe Made’s leadership in the restaurant community as a reaction to COVID-19: bold, innovative, fresh, comforting, trend-setting.

Chef Mark Woodruff has often been recognized as a collaborative and supportive chef within Sarasota’s dynamic restaurant community but his thoughtful and cautious responses to the pandemic that has devastated both lives and livelihoods have proven him to be the kind of leader that people look to for advice and exemplary behavior. Mark errs on the side of safety and security. After the initial quarantine, when restaurants began slowly to reopen and try new practices, Made was one of the first to institute temperature checks for guests as well as employees. I joined a pregnant friend for lunch at Made during this time and we felt completely safe in the hands of the staff under Mark’s leadership. Tough decisions like closing the dining room and switching entirely to a takeout format are made with the utmost care and with the health and safety of his family at the forefront of his mind—his actual family, his family of staff, and his extended family of customers and friends.

Like any good leader, Mark is quick to point to one of his collaborators, Spencer Taliaferro, as an integral part of the process. Spencer spearheaded large-format craft cocktails to go from behind the relatively small bar at Made. Having enjoyed multiple takeout meals from Made over the past few months, and more than a few large-format cocktails, I can honestly tell you that nothing is lost in the flavor of the food or the vibrancy of the cocktails when they’re served in the comfort of your own home. I look forward to brunch on the patio at Made when that is once again a possibility, but in the interim I’d like to make a toast: Cheers to Made, and to our good health!

Sarah Lansky

“We can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world.” —Heidi Wills

It took just a few months for local wine rep Sarah Lansky to create, coordinate, and curate a movement via Facebook that is almost 10,000 members strong, and growing. “Curbside Suncoast Food & Drink To Go” is a forum for members of our community who wish to support local, independent restaurants as they navigate the turbulent waters of the sea change that has been caused by COVID-19.

Restaurants offering curbside and to-go menus are encouraged to post daily and weekly menus and specials to let customers know that they’re still open, still viable, and still want to remain a part of the community.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with business owners expressing their tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to reach an audience that is inherently invested in supporting them. It’s also a boon for people who can’t decide what to eat, what to cook, or what to do with themselves in an increasingly uncertain atmosphere.

You don’t have to hunt or call around for who’s open and what’s on offer, just head over to Curbside and scroll through the pictures, comments, and recommendations—I can almost guarantee that you’ll find a place that you’ve yet to visit or a dish that you’ve yet to try.

Café Barbosso

Chances are you’ve seen or heard of Chef Joe DiMaggio Jr. Chances are even more likely that you’re friends with Chef Joe, the proprietor and chef of Café Barbosso. Joe is a chef, an artist, a bon vivant. Terms like “renaissance man” are bandied about but Joe eschews this kind of praise. He’s more likely to be spotted wearing a shirt that proclaims him a “Sinner” than he is to be caught walking around in saintly chef whites.

The beatific smile, currently residing behind a mask as he produces works of culinary art at the hottest Chef’s Table ticket in town, is that of a man with a heart the size of his network—it’s huge.

Joe is an inclusive kind of guy and he loves to create and to be surrounded by creative people, as evidenced by the live art that is still a feature in the dining room at Café Barbosso. During quarantine

Joe developed a family meal deal that would make any Italian nonna proud: It’s inexpensive, it’s plentiful, and it’s delicious. Café Barbosso offers curbside pickup as an integral part of the program now, and on Saturdays he gifts the people waiting in their cars or tailgating with rockin’ live tunes provided by the Shift Change Band.

Chef Joe thanks the Sarasota community for their incredible support during this tough time and credits them with 18,500 Family Meals sold in five months—which helped to raise thousands of dollars donated to first responders, hospitals, and families in need. Who can take lemons and turn them into rock ‘n’ roll lemonade? The Barbosso man can.