This event exceeded my expectations. Giada De Laurentiis was a doll and Buddy Valastro was super friendly. Event was very organized and the vendors were top notch. I absolutely loved the venue at Wynwood. DJ was excellent. read more

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Ah, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. It may as well be Christmas to us Yelpers. That said, my boyfriend won tickets to the Italian Bites on the Beach event and I happily accompanied him as his +1. This event was held at the beach near the Delano Hotel and good thing we used Lyft. The event was rampant with people. It amazed me that an hour into the event, Corsair already ran out of their short rib macaroni and cheese. This only continued as the night went on. I honestly think that the vendors didn't have any idea how popular some of their dishes would be. Some of the lines were insane. Giada De Laurentiis was also there as a guest star. To even get her autograph was downright impossible. Way too crowded. I really enjoyed this event because there was so much food. We left full. I do think, though, that they can work on some things. For one, only part of it was tented and it started to rain. They could manage the crowds better, too. And let's not even start on finding the bathroom. Found some new favorites though. I want to go to Mimi's Ravioli and Zucca soon. read more

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Thanks to Yelp Miami and Yelp Orlando, we were lucky to win tickets to the 2020 SoBeWFF. We arrived on the afternoon of Thur, 2/20/20. Quite warm and sunny so we retreated to our dark, air-conditioned hotel room till the sun went down. So glad we arrived around 30 minutes before GA was admitted at 7 as it became a ZOO around 8p. After all is said and done (and eaten) I would call this Whole Lotta Gnocchi. Many kinds of gnocchi were available and I enjoyed them all. Excellent gelato and cannoli for dessert. Bartenders were friendly and quick with the wine pours. Attendants were even quicker at clearing the tables so make sure you guard anything you want to keep. They're stealthy fast and quiet! Line to meet Giada was quite long but she made a quick appearance on stage. It was quite a warm evening and I think my best advice for other event-goers would be to remember your sweat-wicking undies and outers. ;-) The tents were open on both sides but the breeze just didn't really circulate through the tent. read more

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First experience at Italian bites and not one of my favorites. The food was ok, the drink options weren't great, and the music could've been better. My favorite option of the whole event was the meatballs from Randazzos which is a local family style Italian restaurant. There was a few other good bites like the tomato soup filled spaghetti , and the lobster ravioli. Wish Giada De Laurentiis section was open a little longer for the meet and greet. But other local chefs were great too. read more

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Italian bites hosted by Barilla is a south beach food and wine festival event that has been happening every year for the past few years. This year I finally went thanks to Yelp's recommendations. Got the tickets from group on since they were a bit on the discounted price. Took a Lyft and arrived just on time. We came in quick the line was incredibly fast as was the process. As soon as you walked in it was a paradise of pasta and carbs. Every girls dream. I started from the beginning and made my way around the whole festival. They also had wine and beer. There was every type of Italian food and even vendors from other states. It was such an amazing experience. I wish I could describe it perfectly but there really isn't an explanation except to say it was awesome. I recommend it to everyone and if you get tickets next year for a discounted price even more worth it. My only "complaint" was that some vendors ran out of food and the end of the night. Other than that it was awesome! read more

Wow! This was my first time attending any SOBEWFF event, and I will definitely be coming back! Thank you to Yelp and SOBEWFF for this experience. Location: The event is located directly on the beach, behind the Delano hotel. Dress: Due to it being on the beach, be sure to dress appropriately for walking on the sand. My husband and I wore sandals and took them off for the entire event. Some ladies were in high heels and pumps. Overall range of dress varied so you really can't go wrong. Drinks: they offered a collection of beer and wine. These were probably the longest lines, so this could be an area of improvement for the future. Food: Outstanding! Italian bites on the beach is where it's at! Multiple delicious pizza stations, fried pasta, gnocchi, cannoli, lamb chops, fried garlic pasta, you name it. I was so full by 1/4 the way in! I read this in previous reviews, and did also note that by 9pm some stands start running out of food. I thought this would be an issue but honestly there are so many food stalls and you're so full that if a few stands run out of food it's not a big deal. Overall loved this event. Will definitely consider coming back next year! The tickets are pricey but it all goes to philanthropy! Thank you Yelp and Food N for this event!! read more

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GIADA!!!!! GIADA!!! I yelled as I stood in the sand triple-fisting a variety of alcoholic beverages. She smiled and waved at me and that was enough. I was not about to wait for a selfie with her in the line that spanned the length of a football field. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the event overall, but I was not prepared for the sheer magnitude of vendors and people. I'm not sure what I expected but this was an evening of gluttony and glam that I won't soon forget. Of course being a Yelper for many years, I analyzed the event from top to bottom as I skipped from booth to booth filling my stomach to the brim with delicious carbohydrates. First the good... a-ma-zing food. Some of the highlights that stood out - the foraged mushroom risotto, the burrata on the foccacia that literally melted in my mouth, the rigatoni bolognese, the lemon-basil cheesecake. OOOf. I washed it all down with about 6 tiny Aperol Spritz. The bussers were on point, quickly removing trash and wiping down the table tops. The decor and DJs on point - keeping the huge party going. I loved the seating areas in the middle of the vendors that looked like rustic Tuscany meets your favorite club on South Beach. Now some not-so-good: the bathrooms. 10 stalls total wayyyy in the back of the event for about 1000+ people. Um, no. I'm pretty sure I saw some people popping a squat relieving themselves in the sand. We tried to use the bathrooms at 9:45 and they were shut down and locked. We begged the event workers to let us go behind a partition to use a porta-potty. Some of the vendors started running out of food at 8:30 (event 7-10 pm). The prosecco and wine selections offered were just OK so I spent most of my time in the Campari and Aperol lines. All minor, but valid nit-picks. Towards the end of the night I had the treat of running into Diandra and Blue A (with the magnificent beard). We said some quick hellos and departed to Marriott VIP lounge for a final cocktail. All-in-all a lovely night under the SoBe sky with the moon smiling down upon us. Now if I could just kick this killer hangover, that would be great! read more

FANTASTIC! This was my first year at SOBEWFF and I will certainly be returning every year. I was so impressed with every aspect of this event, which is held in a huge tent right on the sand in South Beach. First and foremost, the food. The chefs and restaurants really put their heart and soul into coming up with innovative and delicious food. It cannot be easy to serve thousands of people over the course of a couple hours. I learned about and sampled food from so many restaurants that were new to me. Some standouts were the buffalo mozzarella with tomato water from Gianni's, the shrimp scampi from 800 Degrees, the pimento cheese from Monteverde, and the cheese plate from Mimmo's. I could go on and on. There were at least 30 restaurants represented. There was a good variety of wines and mixed drinks. I first tried the Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva red blend and it was so good I stuck with it the entire evening. The tent where the event was held was huge and extremely well laid out. There were many small standing tables scattered around so that you never had to walk more than a few feet to find a place to perch and devour your food. It was crowded but not overly so. Some of the more popular restaurants had a line but you never had to wait more than a few minutes. There were a couple stages with dj's spinning music. The line to meet the host Giada De Laurentiis was quite long and I was too enamored with the food to wait. SOBEWFF is well worth the price of admission! Can't wait til next year. read more

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A HUGE Thank you to my amazing Yelp Miami for giving me the best gifts!! Once again, I had a wonderful time Thanks To Yelp. I won tickets to go to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival's event: Italian Bites on the Beach, presented by Barilla and Food Network, and let me tell you that my mom and I ate one of the best Italian dishes ever. I got the tickets last Saturday from Diandra the Yelp Miami Community Manager and since then, my mom and I have been extremely exciting to go and try everything at this wonderful events. Like we expected, the food was sensational, the service was delightful, the weather helped immensely and the general vibe was just perfect. We valet at the Delano Hotel, which is conveniently located only a block away from the entrance of the event. Then we walked there and the ambiance was just so much fun, people's smiles were​ everywhere. I got so excited when I suddenly heard my name: Wendy!!!, it was Diandra, Blue (Yelp BPB CM and the rest of the family). As we entered, the wines and rose are​ from Mezza, welcomed all of us with delicious drinks an the ​ FUN began... Exquisite is the word my mom and I decide to give as an adjective for the impeccable and delicious plates we had last night. Tortellinis, mouse, fricatas, paninis, sushi pastas, spaghettis, meatballs, and so much more were among the extensive list of Italian dishes we had. Thank God, yesterday was not a competition involved because it will be so hard to choose. As I told my mom, I can not pick a favorite one. The night was entertained by two wonderful DJs in the two different stages they had. I danced in every corner as I enjoyed my food. Giada De Laurentiis the famous Food Network Cook star was there, to take pictures with everyone, presenting her new cook book as well as presenting the amazing band that played the rest of the nigh: Smash Mouth, they played nice songs until 10:00pm. We end up the night with a wonderful Italian expresso freshly made for my mom, I had a cold coffee with the Italian liquor Avarta and we both had chocolate mousse with Ferrero Roche chocolate on top. Like I said before, everything was terrific and we had a wonderful time. Thank you everyone and specially Yelp for our tickets. ENORMES, Gracias a mi increíble Yelp Miami por darme los mejores regalos! Una vez más, pasé un momento maravilloso gracias a Yelp. Gané boletos para ir al evento del South Beach Food and Wine Festival: Italian Bites on the Beach, presentado por Barilla and Food Network, y déjenme decirles que mi mama y yo comimos uno de los mejores platos italianos. Recibí las entradas el sábado pasado de Diandra, la administradora de Yelp Miami, y desde entonces, mi mama y yo hemos estado extremadamente emocionantes de probar todo. Como esperábamos, la comida era sensacional, el servicio era delicioso, el clima ayudó inmensamente y el ambiente en general fue perfecto. Dejamos el carro en el valet del Hotel Delano, que está convenientemente ubicado a solo una cuadra de la entrada del evento. Luego caminamos hasta allí y el ambiente era muy divertido, las sonrisas de las personas estaban en todas partes. Me emocioné tanto cuando de repente escuché mi nombre: Wendy !!!, era Diandra y Blue (Yelp BPB CM y el resto de la familia). Cuando entramos, los vinos y las rosas de Mezza nos dieron la bienvenida a todos con deliciosas bebidas y la DIVERSIÓN comenzó ... Exquisita es la palabra que mi mama y yo decidimos dar como un adjetivo para los platos impecables y deliciosos que tuvimos anoche. Tortellinis, mouse, fricatas, paninis, pastas de sushi, spaghettis, albóndigas y mucho más se encontraban entre la extensa lista de platos italianos que teníamos. Gracias a Dios, ayer no fue una competencia involucrada porque será muy difícil elegir. Como le dije a mi madre, no puedo elegir uno favorito. La noche fue entretenida por dos maravillosos DJ en las dos tarimas diferentes. Bailé en cada esquina mientras disfrutaba de mi comida. Giada De Laurentiis, la famosa estrella de Food Network Cook, estaba allí, para tomar fotos con todos, presentarnos su nuevo libro de cocina y a la sorprendente banda que tocó el resto de la noche: Smash Mouth, tocaron buenas canciones hasta las 10:00 p.m. Terminamos la noche con un maravilloso expreso italiano recién hecho para mi mamá, tomé un café frío con el licor italiano Avarta y ambos comimos mousse de chocolate con chocolate Ferrero Roche encima. Como dije antes, todo fue excelente y la pasamos maravilloso. Gracias a todos y especialmente Yelp por nuestras entradas. read more

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For the twelfth year in a row we attended owning night of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. While it was a lot of fun except for a momentary rain fall the food wasn't as good as previous years or I should say there weren't as many outstanding dishes as previous years. In my opinion there were only five great "bites", the rest were acceptable to God, and only a couple were no better than a local pizza parlor in Des Moines Iowa (not known for its Italian food). I still loved the event and hope to keep the streak alive next year. read more

Such a great event. A must for those of you whom have yet to attend. Some of the worlds best chefs a hand shake away. Cheers read more

SOBEWFF Italian Bites On The Beach - Giada!!! no other words necessary - Festivals Near Me - Miami Beach, Florida

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Awesome food, awesome event, awesome A to Z. Rocking out for 4 days and meant some Awesome fellow Yelpers. If you get the opportunity make sure to attend this (did I mention Awesome) Festival Event. I love being a Yelper. read more

This event was awesome and so worth it. It was my first event that I have ever attended for the SOBEWFF and I loved it. There was so many different options of italian dishes and many drinks. I loved the fact it wasn't to packed and we were able to enjoy the music and the ambiance made it all perfect. I highly recommend trying this next year, if you have never attended any food event. See my pics so you can enjoy! read more

First and foremost, a HUGE thanks to Yelp Orlando for the tickets, and what a nice event this is overall. Now, let's talk some nitty gritty, and this is our first time here so I'm not claiming to be an expert, just telling about our experience. This event is completely open-air, the first part uncovered, but the main tent area covered, which is where the main stage was, and most of the food and beverage. Anyway, all well and good for normal Miami Beach weather this time of year (relatively dry & cool), but when it's what we had this evening, 80-ish and humid and a bit stuffy, with on and off rain showers....shall we just agree, not ideal, right? And let's talk about the dress code. If you look at what they say and you then read the definitons, you'd say men should wear long pants. Well, I'd say at least 1/3 of the guys were wearing shorts, and then there's me, the rule follower, sweating it out in long pants. So, my advice: dress nice, no t-shirts or cutoffs etc, but nobody will care if you wear a nice pair of shorts and a polo shirt on a warm Miami evening. And this event is directly and entirely on the beach, so plan accordingly with footwear. OK, next advice: unless you really crave crowds, get there early. We arrived just after 6:30 and the line to get in was considerable. Security was quick and easy. By the time they started letting us into the event at 6:58, there were WAY more people lined up behind us than ahead of us, so getting there at least 30 minutes early seems like a good strategy. All the lines for food and drink were very manageable for the first part of our evening. Fast forward, we left around 8:45, and by then, and for maybe an hour or more before that, it was just packed. PACKED!Hard to move even in many spots, and many of the lines were backing up into the what had been clear walking paths before. We didn't even try to do the meet snd greet with Giada, the star of the evening, but if you really wanted to do that, best to get there early and go straight to that queue I think. As far as the food and drink, which is what I'd normally be reviewing the most closely, it was all pretty great, but of course it was one night only so I don't know how much good it does to go into insane detail here. We stuck with a Tuscan red wine that we really liked and drank it all evening. Again, very quick and easy to get the first 2-3 glasses, but somewhat slow and painful the last couple. But it was an excellent wine. Several other wine varieties, and a number of beers, were also available. The food was mostly outstanding, and all varying degrees of interesting. My faves were the Louisiana blue crab gnocchi, and there were also these meatballs that were just out of this world. The cannoli was remarkable, the best and freshest I've had. Suffice to say, you should expect to get a wonderful multi course dinner at this event, including beer and/or wine, and dessert. I have mixed views on the ambience. Being right on the beach, well, that's pretty sweet, and not much to complain about, right? The music we experienced was all DJ driven, with some live percussion and sax, and VERY LOUD. I get it's a party atmosphere, but it was at least about 30% too loud for my taste. Very challenging for the people at the food or drink booths to even hear you at times, and to me, that's too loud at an event like this. And wow, as I said, VERY crowded, difficult to move, long lines, as the evening wore on. So would I recommend it? Sure, for foodies, the good surely outweighs the bad, although my view could be affected by our tickets being free (but I understand proceeds go to a good cause, so even paying full price perhaps you'd feel pretty great about that). If there's a celebrity you want to meet, all the better, but if so, get there early and make that a focus. I'll mention that you can apparently pay a bit extra and get in maybe 45 minutes early, so that might be worth it for some. read more

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Awesome event! My wife and I attended SOBEWFF for the first time this year. There were so many food and wine choices at Italian Bites. We saw Giada De Laurentiis but the line was long too meet her. The organizers did a fantastic job. read more