Miami’s own Michelin Gourmand Bib award-winning baker

2022 James Beard Finalist for Outstanding Baker Zak Stern stands in front of his bakery, Zak the Baker.

dough master

Accolades keep pouring in for a local baker whose baked goods are the stuff of legend.

BY JEN KARETNICK

When Zak Stern, otherwise known as Zak the Baker, first started making sourdough bread in Miami back in 2012, he wasn’t thinking about awards. Happiness and how to achieve it was his major preoccupation.

It was that thinking that led him to switch careers from pharmacology to artisanal baking, mixing everything by hand in his modest, single-oven operation, which yielded products sold at farmers’ markets.

Fast-forward a decade later and Stern is a much-admired figure in the artisanal Miami bread-baking scene he is credited with launching. In fact, he’s so renowned for his breads and pastries, the latter of which cater to his kosher/Jewish community but appeal to all, that he’s caught the eye of the James Beard Award committees. After garnering Outstanding Baker nominations in both 2017 and 2018 — where he achieved semi-finalist status — he made it as a finalist in 2022.

And while his Instagram posts made it clear how much gratitude he feels towards his customers, the chefs who buy and serve his breads and the staff who help him produce them, Stern is grateful for the recognition, even if he didn’t ultimately win the award.

“It always feels great to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation,” he says. “They are the standard bearers of excellence in our industry. Obviously, it was disappointing that we didn’t win the award, but the opportunity to be invited to Chicago for the ceremony as a nominee has left an indelible mark upon me, and will most certainly reflect on [our] work.”

In the meantime, Stern has filled the disappointment gap with another achievement: the Michelin Gourmand Bib Award, which he calls “thrilling.” Stern says, “I find the category to be extremely relevant: quality food at a good price. So much of quality is reserved for those of such privilege and is therefore out of reach to most. You can visit the bakery at 8 a.m. and spend $4 on a fresh croissant that was mixed, laminated, shaped, proofed, and baked fresh on site. That level of quality at such a low price point plays an important role in our culinary culture, and I’m proud that we were recognized for it.”

We couldn’t agree more.

H. Bredemeier

Making Waves In The World of Custom Jewelry, Bespoke Diamonds and Majestic Gemstones

For someone who has designed tens of thousands of pieces of jewelry during his career — most of them luxury for a worldly clientele — H. Bredemeier himself could be called a Coconut Grove gem. The founder of H&H Jewels on Main Highway was in love with jewelry well before he established one of the Grove’s most enduring businesses. The lifelong passion began during childhood in St. Croix, where tropical beaches inspired early designs. “I loved the water,” he recalls. “I’d make shell jewelry and sculptures to sell to tourists. That’s how I got started in my creativity.” And some of that creativity was likely inherited — his grandfather’s brother, whom he calls “uncle” — was a costume jewelry maker. The Bredemeier family eventually moved from the U.S. Virgin Islands to South Florida, where H. attended Miami Beach High School. In 1985, a work experience program for seniors set him on an entrepreneurial path. “They let me be my own boss, which was rare,” he says. H. and his uncle rented a parking space in Commodore Plaza, set up a table and sold jewelry with electroplated leaves and shells. The al-fresco vendor was devoted. “We were open from 1 PM to 11 PM on weekdays and sometimes until 1 AM on weekends,” he says. The venture fired up his heart’s calling: “I fell into it and fell in love with it.” One day, his skill and creativity caught someone’s eye, which led to his first commission for a more complex piece of jewelry. “I wasn’t sure how to make it,” he recalls. “I ran home and asked my neighbor for help. He was a jewelry maker and had a workshop in his garage.” The eager apprentice continued honing his craft. “After a while, I started taking orders for oneof-a-kind pieces made with the customer’s own gemstones,” he says. There was more room to grow. Two years later, his father Hermann — the other “H” in the business name — encouraged him to open a proper storefront in Commodore Plaza. By 2003, he moved operations to one of the Grove’s historic buildings — the former Coconut Grove Bank designed by Walter DeGarmo in 1920. Today, H&H Jewels is not only literally located in the heart of the business district, it also claims a long history of events supporting the community. One of them involved bejeweling a special nuptial. In 2015, H&H hosted a wedding and reception for a couple when same-sex weddings became legal in Florida. H. Bredemeier also holds several causes close to his heart, including The de Moya Foundation, a non-profit that creates employment opportunities for young adults with unique abilities. “I learned about autism in my early thirties and it always struck me,” he says. “These young adults can experience work and have a sense of great accomplishment.” H. Bredemeier — whose favorite gem is the sapphire — has come far from his beachside craft days: “I love traveling overseas and discovering rare gems or sourcing spectacular gems.” But he always comes back home to the Grove. “I’ve lived here since the 90s,” he says. “The Grove is my life. I’m here seven days a week. I pretty much don’t leave the Grove — if I do it’s to go out of town.”

3434 Main Highway Coconut Grove, FL 33133 (305) 442-9760 www.hhjewels.com

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