Earliest memories of the kitchen
Anthony grew up with his six brothers and sisters in Nutley, New Jersey and grew up around some phenomenal food: delis where all sandwiches are sliced to order; bakeries that ice cakes with butter cream; pizza joints with great pie by the slice; Italian markets where you can smell the aged proscuitto hanging from the rafters; dried sausages, meatballs, bracciolli, and flank steak pounded out and stuffed with spinach, garlic and pine nuts, then rolled and braised in the gravy.
Some of Anthony’s fondest memories of food from his childhood are harvesting cherries from two trees with his brother Fred, in his grandmother’s back yard in Newark, so that she would make them pies.
How Anthony got involved in restaurant work professionally
Anthony first worked in the kitchens at Bosco’s, which will be a memorable name for any Asheville old timers. Located in Arden on Hendersonville Hwy, Bosco’s was opened by Fred Cerrato, Anthony’s father. Fred employed an old friend named Harvey to be his chef. Anthony credits a great deal of foundational skills to time he spent with Harvey in the kitchen. Taking some time to spread his wings, Anthony spent several years in Raleigh learning the business end of the trade at Whole Foods, Sodexho and doing back stage event catering.
After the sad loss of Harvey, Fred asked Anthony to return to Asheville and run the restaurant which at the time was The Cottonwood Café. Now called Fiore's and named after his grandfather, the restaurant’s logo of a bull with a flower in its mouth is another sign of the linage that make up Fiore's - Anthony’s father Fred is a Taurus and Fiore is flower in Italian.
Sage advice to pass on to those who follow in your path
He has no regrets, but this is not a business for what some would call a normal life. There are many different avenues to take in the trade.
Favorite comfort food
When it comes to his comforts foods, pasta with bread is a standard and he claims he’s a sucker for sweets.
Fiore's Cottonwood Ristorante Toscana is located at 122 College Street in downtown Asheville. Special thanks to Tres Hundertmark, executive chef of The Lobster Trap, for sharing this information.
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