Herald food podcast: Another season of cinnamon buns, a retirement and a good bye

Carlos Frías

Hola, loyal listeners of La Ventanita. This is bittersweet to write.

After six amazing years at the Miami Herald, I’m leaving for an unexpected opportunity. I’ll be the new host of Sundial, the daily mid-day show on WLRN 91.3 FM, our NPR station and long-time news partner.

My goal: to keep telling the stories that make Miami wonderful and weird.

Getting to call myself colleague to the incredible journalists on this staff for more than six years has been the apex of my journalism career. Nothing surpasses it.

The first day I walked in the door, past those (then) 21 Pulitzer Prizes, I thought, What could I possibly contribute to a place this great? (We were in Doral, so I also thought, “What’s that smell?”)

This place, these colleagues, made room for me to find out. They made space for my stories, sometimes ridiculous, always lovingly pointed at Miami. They let me be curious. And they let me prove in my own little corner of the newsroom that any job inside this (metaphorical) building is still one of the best jobs in the business. The Herald abides.

But before we go, Amy Reyes and I say our goodbyes (figuratively, we’re buds and will always be buds) and banter one last time. On tap:

  • “Junior” Biggers, who hand-sliced pastrami at Hialeah’s Stephen’s Deli for 65 years, is retiring

  • It’s cinnamon roll season at Knaus Berry Farm. We discuss one “fugazzi” way to skip the line

  • Who is the Key lime pie baker at Blue Collar and Mignonette that uses filmmaker Billy Corben as delivery boy?

  • Hear the “lost Ventanita,” the episode with super-chef Massimo Bottura that launched six months worth of podcasts.

It’s been an privilege. Peace.

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