Zak Stern

Zak Stern — better known as Zak the Baker, which is also the name of his bakery and café — is tireless in his singularity. When he set his mind to learn how to make bread, which he did at the age of 22, he decided he wanted to make the kind of bread you dedicate your life to — bread worth traveling the world to create. Like the great artisans of the Renaissance period, Zak went on a directionless journey and apprenticed with European and Middle Eastern artisans to learn his craft. His travels and learning certainly paid off. In 2013, Zak Stern was named Best Baker by the Miami New Times in their Best of Miami Awards. The following year, Zak the Baker Wynwood Bakery & Cafe won Best Bakery in the Best of Miami Awards, and Stern won the Baking & Pastry Chef of the Year award at the JWU Zest Awards for his work with the restaurant in 2015.