12 APRIL 6-12, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | 3/26/23* miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ MIAMI ZAK THE BAKER EARNS A JAMES BEARD NOMINATION Last week, the James Beard Foundation announced its 32nd annual Restaurant and Chef Award nominees in a ceremony held at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. As in past years, the foundation nearly shut out Miami (and all of South Florida). Only Zak the Baker was named a nominee in the running for a 2023 James Beard Award. The Wynwood bakery was nominated in the Outstanding Bakery category, along 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 announced its semifinalists, with Miami chefs and restaurateurs making the grade in nine categories. At the time, the Beard Foun- dation had seemed to recognize some of Mi- ami’s most creative and hardest-working professionals, including Niven Patel and Mo- hamed Alo Alkassar of the Alpareno Restau- rant Group, Timon Balloo of the Katherine in Fort Lauderdale, and the Chang family for Itame in the Design District. If this story sounds familiar, it’s because, in 2022, the same scenario happened. Out of 11 semifinalists, only Zak the Baker received a nomination with one difference: Stern was nominated in the Outstanding Baker category last year, and this year his bakery is a nomi- nee. Will Miami’s favorite baker finally bring home a Beard? “It’s up to the JBF gods,” Stern jokingly told New Times. The James Beard Restaurant & Chef Awards will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on Monday, June 5. LAINE DOSS ▼ HALLANDALE BEACH THE KAO GROUP OPENS ARGENTINIAN RESTAURANT MADE FROM SHIPPING CONTAINERS The folks at the Kao Group can hardly con- tain themselves. In April, the minds behind Kao Sushi & Grill in Coral Gables and J&J Fresh Kitchen in Boca Raton will open the first Kao Bar & Grill at 11 NE First Avenue in Hallandale Beach. “I was born and raised in Miami and South Florida and, rather serendipitously, we came across this area on First Avenue in Hallandale Beach. We believe the space works perfectly for us and can be the next big thing,” gen- eral manager Dylan Burneo tells New Times. “We see this as a creative opportunity in an area that will be home to large art proj- ects and open-minded people.” Indeed, Kao Bar & Grill will be a creative spot. For starters, its 5,000-square-foot framework is made entirely of shipping containers. Layout-wise, the space will include an alfresco patio with wooden ac- cents and a 14-seat bar. Inside, the main dining room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling win- dows. Adding that much more pizzazz are mu- rals by Argentine visual artist Falopapas. Burneo says the process to bring Kao Bar & Grill to life started just before the pandemic and, with the eight total shipping containers, it has been an exciting puzzle to piece to- gether. On using shipping containers, he says, “there is so much potential and, in many ways, it’s like you’re given a Lego set. There is so much youthful energy involved and it’s been a great facilitator of creativity. Overall, it’s been a great experience.” As for the opening menu, it’s been crafted as a “harmonious way of introducing Argen- tinian cuisine to a broader audience.” | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Platonic Studios photo Zak the Baker’s Zak Stern WITH THE EIGHT TOTAL SHIPPING CONTAINERS, IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING PUZZLE TO PIECE TOGETHER.
