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This Miami chef took home a James Beard Award last night, just a year after his sister won

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This Miami chef took home a James Beard Award last night, just a year after his sister won


If you needed extra proof that culinary bonafides run in the Chang family, last night you got it. At the 35th annual James Beard Foundation awards—which were held on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera in ChicagoNando Chang of Itamae AO took home the coveted medal in the Best Chef: South category, following closely in the footsteps of his sister Valerie, who won the exact same award a year earlier for her own acclaimed kitchen work over at Maty’s.

RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Miami to book right now

The Chang siblings, as well as their father Fernando, opened the first iteration of Itamae in 2018, when it was a mere food counter at the then-St. Roch Market (now known as MIA Market) in the Design District. The original counter—which served Nikkei cuisine, a delicious fusion of Peruvian and Japanese food—eventually grew into a standalone restaurant across the Palm Court, before it closed in 2023 so both Nando and Valerie could work on their own solo concepts.

For Valerie, that was Maty’s, a Peruvian charmer named for their grandmother and for Nando, Itamae AO, a 10-seat omakase counter directly connected to its sister restaurant (literally) that turns out a beautiful and beguiling tasting menu of Japanese-Peruvian bites. Nando’s refined reimaginings earned the Miami restaurant its first-ever Michelin star earlier this year, so the James Beard sparkler is simply another glorious garnish on top of one tasty year.

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Photograph: Michael PissariItamae AO

Itamae AO was one of two Miami-based finalists among this year’s James Beard nominees, with ViceVersa—the aperitivo bar off the lobby of the Elser Hotel in downtown Miami—being recognized in the Best New Bar category. Alas, that local haunt was ultimately beat out by Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Prior to Valerie Chang’s 2024 victory in the Best Chef: South category, and her bro’s subsequent win a year after, a Miami-based chef hadn’t taken home a James Beard Award since all the way back in 2010.

Along with the Miami nods, Florida also saw two other finalists this year: Sue Chin and Jason Chin of Orlando’s Good Salt Restaurant Group (Seito Sushi, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Osprey, and others) in the Outstanding Restaurateur category, and Winter Park’s Ômo by Jônt in the Best New Restaurant category. Congrats to all of our Florida winners and finalists!



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Injury Bug for Miami Basketball Gains Another Player Early in the Season

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Injury Bug for Miami Basketball Gains Another Player Early in the Season


The Miami Hurricanes have won five of their last six games early in the 2025-26 regular season. Head coach Jai Lucas has done a great job recruiting and finding the right talent for the Hurricanes; however, that is when they get a chance to see the court.

Entering this season, the Hurricanes struggled to stay healthy. Four-star freshman Treyvon Maddox hasn’t even seen the floor yet, while the rest of the team is trying to find a good footing.

Against UL Monroe, star five-star freshman Shelton Henderson went down with a lower leg injury with 1:29 left in the first half. It seems he avoided a major injury, warming up in the second half, but Lucas decided not to put him back in the game.

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“We’re still kind of evaluating and seeing what it is,” Lucas said after the victory over the Warhawks. “He tried to kind of go out there and start the second half, run around a little bit, so we’ll see.’

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However this is the tip of the iceberg with the injuries for the Canes.

UM is playing playoff levels with this tight rotation. Starter are playing 30-plus minutes against quad-four teams because of the lack of bodies.

Marcus Allen and Donte Allen have missed every game since the Hurricanes defeated Ole Miss on the road. Ernest Udeh Jr. has been in and out of the line all season. Noam Dovrat has a nagging shoulder injury that will keep him out of the game; Tru Washington has missed time; Tre Donaldson is powering through some little nicks; and now the Henderson injury.

The Hurricanes have the talent to be a Sweet 16 team in the NCAA Tournament, but they have to be on the floor at all times. The Hurricanes are only playing seven players a game right now, and it will either help them or hurt them.

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The Hurricanes are set to face the FIU Panthers, while they try to get healthy at the right time. The Hurricanes are dominating on both sides of the ball, but the challenges from opponents will continue to increase.

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“I expect a war,” Lucas said. “They’re really good. [FIU head coach Jeremy] Ballard’s done a good job this year with his team construction,” Lucas said. “They play with confidence. They play free. They’re aggressive. They’re big. They got really good guards.”

Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes- TwitterFacebookInstagramYoutube, and BlueSky.


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Charging e-bike suspected in destructive Miami house fire

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Charging e-bike suspected in destructive Miami house fire


MIAMI — The smell of blackened, burned rubble still lingers inside the house where an early-morning fire left a family devastated. Outside, debris from the firefight remains scattered around the property.

The fire tore through a duplex near the 1800 block of Northwest 53rd Street Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m., forcing everyone inside to flee.

The blaze is believed to have been caused by an e-bike, though officials say the exact cause is still under investigation.

“With every step,” Josue Paz said as he walked through the damage, he faces heartbreak and devastation.

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What was once his family’s living room is now reduced to piles of ash and rubble.

Paz said he was inside the home when an e-bike charging in the house suddenly caught fire.

“Yep, that’s part of the bike. Right there, right there,” he said, pointing to debris.

“I couldn’t really process anything and it just happened,” Paz said.

Paz rushed to get his family out before the flames spread.

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“My first thought was getting everybody out of the house. I was trying to call everybody,” he said. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s get out.”

Fire officials say lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters have been linked to a growing number of fast-moving fires nationwide. Miami Fire Rescue is still working to determine the exact cause of this fire.

Despite losing everything, Paz said surviving the fire is what matters most.

“I’m glad that I got my neighbors out, I got my family out,” he said.

Six people escaped the fire, along with a dog. They are staying with loved ones as the fire department continues to work to pinpoint how the fire started.

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Woman found dead on roadway in SW Miami-Dade

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Woman found dead on roadway in SW Miami-Dade


A woman was found dead on the roadway in Southwest Miami on Friday morning, deputies said.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, just before 6 a.m., deputies arrived at the 9800 block of Southwest 170th Street after receiving reports of a person who was unresponsive and lying on the roadway.

Once at the scene, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the woman dead.

Her identity has not been released.

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A death investigation is underway, and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the woman’s cause of death.

MDSO said there are no suspects at this time.



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