Zak the Baker Nominated for 2023 James Beard Award

Today, the James Beard Foundation introduced its thirty second annual Restaurant and Chef Award nominees in a ceremony held on the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville.

As in previous years, the inspiration practically shut out Miami (and all of South Florida). Only Zak the Baker was named a nominee within the working for a 2023 James Beard Award.

The Wynwood bakery was nominated within the Outstanding Bakery class, together with Angelo Brocato Ice Cream & Confectionery (New Orleans), La Casita Bakeshop (Richardson, Texas), Kuluntu Bakery (Dallas), and Yoli Tortilleria (Kansas City, Missouri).

In January, the James Beard Association introduced its semifinalists, with Miami cooks and restaurateurs making the grade in 9 classes. At the time, the Beard Foundation had appeared to acknowledge a few of Miami’s most artistic and hardest-working professionals, together with Niven Patel and Mohamed Alo Alkassar of the Alpareno Restaurant Group, Timon Balloo of the Katherine in Fort Lauderdale, and the Chang household for Itame within the Design District. 

If this story sounds acquainted, it is as a result of, in 2022, the identical situation occurred. Out of 11 semifinalists, solely Zak the Baker obtained a nomination with one distinction: Stern was nominated within the Outstanding Baker class final yr, and this yr his bakery is a nominee.

Will Miami’s favourite baker lastly carry residence a Beard? “It’s as much as the JBF gods,” Stern jokingly instructed New Times.

The James Beard Restaurant & Chef Awards can be introduced at a gala awards ceremony on Monday, June 5. Tickets for the gala go on sale on March 31 and might be bought at squadup.com.