4/13/2016 - Expo Alfresco was an amazing event, even better when you get tickets from YELP! THANK YOU!!! We thought parking would be a problem but there is ample parking in the streets and garages near by. We walked to the beginning of the expo and there was a well marked table for tickets. We received our wristband and event map....and we were ready to go. There were plenty of wine tastings with such wines as Josh, Chateau St. Michelle, Chateau Dt. Jean, Ménage a Trois, etc. It was a tasting after all so we got at least two sips per tasting. Next up was the food vendors. First one I went to was Sansushito rolls & sandwiches; (Peruvian sushi fusion) they were serving the Maguro roll, fresh tuna, cream cheese, avo, covered with a thin layer of tuna tataki. It was very fresh. Margaritaville had two of their restaurants there. The Tenderloin au Poivre from JWB Prime Steak and Seafood was definitely a favorite. The steak was tender and the flavors were perfect. The other was the Drunken Shrimp with Tequila Lime Butter, roasted garlic, onion and peppers from Margaritaville Restaurant, and it was delicious. Both presentations were great. GG's Waterfront Grill mushroom risotto was a winner! plus the Chef was super nice and he really asked for your opinion on the dish. Perfectly cooked risotto. They also had tuna tacos....WOW! incredible, very unexpected. Wine Story, a new wine bar in Hollywood was offering a few samplings of their spreads and quiche and also carrot and zucchini soups. Loved the Sangria from Atelier 3. So happy that Juniper on the Water was there with the best Paella I've ever had!!! Last but not least, The Beer Garden on Stage with all local breweries. My favorite folks DESCARGA Brewing with their HI JU DOIN, Hibiscus, Juniperberry, Raspberry, Belgian Ale (7.2% ABV) and the GUASSSAAP, Guava Wheat Ale (5.1% ABV). I need a case of both!!! And I also tried the La Nina from LauderAle with the hints of mango and habanero pepper (5.2% ABV) We were a little late for the party so those were the only ones we tried. I was satisfied with those. Great event, very well put together. We got to travel very easily from tent to tent without having too much wait. The vendors were very nice, talkative explaining their product. Plus it was nice to see YELP friends like Angie, Colleen, Adriana, Greshka and Cherine enjoying the event and giving a heads up on tents not to miss. Until next year!!!! read more

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My friend Nathalia and I had the pleasure of being at Expo Alfresco 2016. It's been two days and my friend is still raving about the awesome experience. She wants to buy tickets to the next year's event when they become available, that's how much she enjoyed it :) For me, I loved how well put together this expo was and how yummy the food was in was each booth. I was expecting only big name restaurants but I was surprised how many catering businesses were a part of it as well. One of our favorite samples from catering facilities was the Culinary Affairs who showcased their specialty pasta, mozzarella and tomato creation as well as burgers. In restaurants, all restaurants were excellent but a few of our favorites were: Juniper on the Water had their famous paella (I need to visit that restaurant very soon), JWP Prime had their mouthwatering tenderloin au poivre which my friend thought was the best bite she had there, my personal favorite was the drunken shrimp from margaritaville . In desserts Gino's Italian market really won our heart with the various kinds of desserts such as cannoli, chocolate cupcake, etc. Also I truly enjoyed Subzero Ice Cream who were demonstrating how they make their ice cream. Not only did they have so many kinds of food sampling, they had a variety of wines which were being offered. Also the set up of the beer garden was great with sitting on the ground near the stage. All in all, Expo Alfresco is a event one should not miss in South Florida, totally worth it. read more

This was a great food and drink filled event. I was lucky enough to win tickets, thank you Yelp. Mike V. and I found parking on the street nearby without a problem. We walked into the park and found tons of booths lined up throughout. This was my first time here at the park and it was clean and spacious. After we got our bracelets, we got a plate and fork and started to explore each booth. I tried a little bit of everything from wines, food, desserts, and beers. Each vendor did an amazing job with their food. It wasn't too crazy busy and we were able to grab some bites here and there. The vendors were not only food or drink vendors, but businesses promoting themselves. There was a coffee booth that provided delicious iced coffee. We got to play a game and won a bag of coffee. After sampling almost every booth, we wandered off to the beer stage. We tried all the craft beers and they were all good. My favorite would be the LauderAle. We were so stuffed when we left and I think I had to down a few tums. Overall, it was a great time and I'm glad to be able to experience this event. read more

This was a cool little event that Hollywood put on in order to get some buzz going about all the different local businesses, and it was really a good idea to get people in the community out and about to interact and see what's around, as you never really know until you explore. Got comped tickets for this thanks to being a Yelpie, but didn't get off work early enough to enjoy all the festivities of this. It was on a Wednesday between 5-8 pm. I really think that the timing is horrendously inconvenient-I don't even work that far away, but we still weren't able to get down there until 7. A lot more people would be able to go if they changed the date to a weekend or even to a Friday. That being said, there were a lot of different vendors here, mostly restaurants, very few stands for wine. Considering the last festival we went to was Sobe WFF, the reverse was true. This is much more kid-friendly and had a lot of balloon animals and such. There were a few banks, hospitals, and cell phone stands giving away freebies and brochures, and I got a wine glass for giving an email to one of the booths. The food samples were actually really good. Almost all of them gave us a little postcard so we remembered where we could go get some more, most were local to the Hollywood-Hallandale area. The point of the festival was to get buzz to the local area, and I certainly have some places in the area that I would like to patronize now that I wouldn't have known about before since I have never lived in Hollywood. I wish there was a few more stands offering wine samples, but that's no reason to not go to the festival. There was one stand selling beer and wine in full size cups for $3-4 a cup (16 oz or so cups). I think this is a great festival to try some new restaurants in the area. I have a list of places I want to try out, and I had a lot of fun and didn't need to make dinner that night. I think that for the people expecting this to compare to the Las Olas or SoBe WFF, you will be sorely disappointed, as there is a LOT less wine and a lot more children. Also the fact that it is on a weekday made it a lot less fruitful, in my opinion. That being said, we were able to cruise around to most of the booths we wanted to in under an hour since we got there at 7 and the festival was wrapped up by 8. For the value ticket price that's paid, this is a festival worth checking out. read more

I've only been to this event once. That was in 2012. I missed it this year, and I'm disappointed. It was on April 10, 2013. I had forgotten when the date was. Since I had registered the year before, I wish I had gotten an email reminder for this year. When my husband and I went in 2012 I didn't expect much since the price at the door was only $15.00. It was advertised as food and wine. There was food, but the wine part wasn't much. A few tiny samples of wine. But I go for the food, so the limited wine didn't bother me. There were plenty of vendors giving out samples of their food. It wasn't fancy but the food was good. I was surprised that there wasn't any long lines in spite of there being a fair turnout. A few tables and chairs were set up but they were mostly occupied. It was a nice event, and I'm marking my calendar for next year. The Good: The price was $15.00 The location on North Young Circle was easy to find. The food was good. The Bad: Not a lot of wine. Limited places to sit. Parking can be difficult in that area. We were lucky to find a parking place on the street. If anyone reading this went this year, I'd love to know how it was. read more

I just realized I hadn't reviewed this! Must have dreamt it! I had a blast here. The beer stage/garden was great and I got to try some new breweries, which was very fun. Descarga may be one of my new fave breweries! We tried a lot of the food too. The mushroom risotto & tuna tacos from GG's waterfront were hands down my favorite. It's an awesome event to try out a variety of different restaurants! The only complaint I have are the single plates & forks. I don't really want to try something sweet after another stall has put risotto or fish on my plate. With only one plate, it gets dirty & you're stuck carrying around a dirty plate & dirty fork. Some spots had their own little dishes, which was very nice, but not all. Street Parking is limited, but there are garages. Overall though, had a fun time & would go pack. read more