Right on Broadway in downtown Asheville, where foot traffic never really slows and first impressions matter, Strada Italiano feels less like a destination restaurant and more like a place that has always belonged there.
The story begins in kitchens long before Strada’s doors opened in 2012. Chef and owner Anthony Cerrato is a second-generation Italian American from New Jersey, raised in a family where cooking wasn’t just a profession, but a language. He trained under his father in the family’s restaurants, including Fiore’s Ristorante Toscana in Asheville, where Anthony served as Executive Chef for many years. Formal training followed at AB Tech’s culinary program, but the foundation was always built at home—through regional Italian traditions, family recipes, and an instinct for hospitality.
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