Asada, Latin American Fusion Cuisine

Gina Petti and Roberto Cortez infused their passion for food and culture into a deliciously thriving restaurant right here in the Upstate.

“It started almost as an accident.”
Roberto reveals, “We always love to cook for friends and family."

Exclusive Photography: FishEye Studios, Greenville, SC

Featured

The couple started out catering various events in an old pickup truck while preparing meals in a tent. People repeatedly began to ask where their restaurant was. “We realized we were on to something. The next step was Lola which was a total success. It was the first food truck in Greenville.” From there Asada was born.

Roberto, Nicaraguan, has a degree in Industrial Design and Fine Arts. Gina, half Japanese and Italian, holds a Clinical Psychology degree. Prior to Greenville, their love affair with food started when they met in San Francisco. Combining their different backgrounds and talents makes them the quintessential modern day power couple. Asada style.

One of their more popular tacos, the Japanese style Karaage taco, is also the most mispronounced. Gina said laughing, “People say the garage taco, the kangaroo taco. It’s a hard word to say.” Don’t worry OTGG fam, we got you: KAH-rah-AH-ge.

Roberto granting wishes and making magic happen.

Huge shout out to Gina’s right-hand lady, Laura Carrillo for tending to their pepper garden every year. “Out of this garden, we have habaneros, jalapeño, and anaheim peppers for the whole season.” That explains why their salsas are so remarkable.

Watch for their much anticipated canned salsas and sauces coming to you within the next year.

While you’re diving head first into that juicy and perfectly marinated Nicaraguan churrasco, be sure to shovel a little bit of the Escabeche salad onto that fork of yours. Talk about a perfect bite.

Treat yourself to a crisp Nicaraguan beer...

...or enjoy the perfect day time cocktail with the sangria tropical (white wine, mangos and pineapples) or sangria roja (red wine, oranges, green and red apples).

Kudos to Asada for using as much local, farm fresh produce as they can. “We try to make healthy, cost-effective food that everybody can afford and is delicious.”

Thank you Farm Cart and Legacy City Farms.

Keep an eye out for their ever-changing specials. Gina elaborates, “If we get bored then we know our customers will get bored. Our goal is to introduce our combined cultures to the community. We like to experiment."

Tuesday-Wednesday 11:30am-3pm
Thursday-Saturday 11:30am-9pm

903 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609
864-770-3450
http://www.asadarestaurant.com/

Jackie BrookerMay 27, 2020