While my blog began its life as a search for great burgers in Miami, it grew to include many associated historical topics.

I wrote four pieces during National Burger Month for the Miami Herald & Miami.com a few years ago. I did those as a tribute to my late grandfather, who loved reading and re-reading the Herald daily.

I’ve been reading the Miami New Times forever and even advertised my horror shop in the print version back in tha day. However, the Miami New Times’ grittier take on the news was more my style.

When I spoke to Laine Doss, the food and spirits editor about Burger Beast (yes, I just referred to myself in the third person) writing for the Miami New Times, she was all about it. So I knew that my first official story for the Miami New Times would need to be historical, not some maniacal scribblings.

Hence the Five Miami Burger Chains That Made History went live online a couple of weeks back. My short but sweet histories of Insta-Burger King, Joe Namath’s Broadway Joe’s, Muhammad Ali’s ChampBurger, Rudy’s Sirloin SteakBurgers, & Wuv’s were fun to write.

I Made the Cover, Huh?

I was surprised when the decision trickled down that it would be the cover story. It had been nearly ten years since my first cover story, Let Me Tell You About the Frita, for edible South Florida.

I’ve never considered myself much of a writer. I mean, when someone tells me they’ve enjoyed a social media post or something on my blog, I’m happy to have created something that moved them.

But here we are, almost 13 years after I wrote the initial BurgerBeast.com post about some burger I found at a pizza joint that had no business being that good. I’m kinda like that pizza spot, no one saw me coming, and I’ve always tried to be the best possible Beast I could be.