"I tasted Bio Bio in Italy three years ago and I thought it was phenomenal," co-owner Matteo Soldatini says. "I got in contact with the company and the rest is history."
With a sleek and minimalist shop design, Bio Bio is behind nearly two dozen unique flavors, from sweet and salty, to ricotta and figs, and yogurt honey and walnut. Each blend is served in either a cup or cone. Some can be made into frozen slushies as well. A cup of gelato starts at $5).
"We serve our gelato from containers hidden inside the counter," Soldatini says. "Our gelato doesn't use any bright colors or artificial preservatives. It's all about the taste."
Unlike traditional ice cream, Italian gelato contains less fat and air. At Bio Bio, flavors are 100 percent organic and use fresh and seasonal ingredients. And beyond the shop's creamy blends, there are also cases of frozen desserts such as chocolate-covered ice pops, large gelato cakes, fruit sorbet pops, and mini gelato cones. Products, including all gelato flavors, are made daily inside the shop's kitchen.
The concept was originally founded nearly 60 years ago by an Italian family-owned company called Moca. Bio Bio Miami Beach is the first storefront in the U.S., offering the same gelato found in the brand's original shop located in a small town in northern Italy's Emilia-Romagna region.
"They were interested in opening in the U.S., so it worked out well," Soldatini says. "There's really no similar product to this in Miami. It's as authentic as you can get."
Besides Bio Bio's in-store products, the shop
Bio Bio. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; 1201 20th St., Miami Beach; 786-431-2081; miamibeach.biobiogelato.com.
