Madruga Bakery

It’s difficult to say which part of bakery life burrowed deepest into Naomi Harris’ soul. Harris was born in Miami and into the restaurant business: Her father Larry and his brother Stuart founded Miami’s beloved chicken chain Pollo Tropical in 1988. But Harris didn’t plan for a life in restaurants, never mind one of overnight baking shifts. Then one summer during college, she interned with the pastry chef at Coral Gables’ now-shuttered Cacao, and her career trajectory changed. At her Coral Gables bakery, Madruga, she turns out a variety of whole-grain country loaves, along with baguettes, scones, babkas, croissants, and muffins. Her work earned her a semifinalist nomination for the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker.