“Conner is exactly what we were looking for,” Owen said. “Thoughtful food that’s accessible.”
Eggplant adobo is a hearty vegetarian dish inspired by Chef Conner Hinderks’ culinary training with a Filipino chef.
An English student becomes a chef
Hinderks didn’t really want to be a chef, but food somehow chose him. He grew up in Kansas City and remembers his mother making most of the typical Midwestern dishes: hearty, filling dishes.
Hinderks remembers that when his father cooked, he stood by his side and enjoyed every moment.
After graduating from college with a degree in comparative English literature, he was well on his way to becoming a high school teacher, but after a year working at a pizza parlor, he began a “slow build.”
He enrolled in a cooking class at a community college and got a job at a popular jazz club: the Phoenix.
It was a crucial moment, and Hinderks was deeply involved in it.
From there, he worked for a while in kitchens in Indianapolis and then, after a life change, moved to New Orleans, where he found himself at Maypop, a casual fine-dining spot.
There, he spent five years working his way up from assistant cook to head chef, absorbing every ingredient and technique and learning the process of flavor creation.
The menu is a culinary journey
The Little Secret menu is an expression of all these lessons. The menu is inspired by well-known dishes and adds a Southeast Asian twist.
Little Secret’s steak tartar is a classic variation with the addition of lime juice, lime leaves, fish sauce, chilies and olive oil to bind it.
A short rib curry combines braised beef with collard greens in a red curry broth and is served with jasmine rice and furikake potato chips.
The aforementioned salad appears here in the form of thinly sliced cabbage, a muddle of fresh herbs, a funky Caesar, and crumbled breadcrumbs from Rise Bakery and fresh Parmesan cheese.
The steak tartare at Little Secret is a variation of the classic dish, but gains freshness and complexity through the addition of fresh herbs, fish sauce, lime juice and lime leaves.
“I really want to give you something that is fundamentally familiar, but with twists that pique your curiosity,” he said. “When I put a new dish on the menu, I make sure to eat it all the way through several times. The worst thing someone can say about my food, even if they don’t like it – I don’t want it to be boring.”
