Photo by Tina Garceau
The Wild Burrito’s Avocado Fries
Throughout his professional journey, including affiliations with Heinz and Guinness, Joe Carpenter has valued the value that consumers place on having high-quality options. Especially aware of South Philadelphians’ allegiance to freshness and friendliness, the 42-year-old has become a connoisseur of delicious selections and a conveyor of cordial conversations by overseeing The Wild Burrito.
“I absolutely love being able to have a location in this neighborhood,” he said from the Pennsport spot that will turn a year old next week. “The connections are pretty special, and that helps us to have added confidence in our products.”
The Marconi resident, who helms a second site in Wildwood, explained that his other food and drink-related vocational stops, along with an interest in preparing meals, made him a receptive carrier of the bug that is business ownership. As his enthusiasm gestated, Carpenter began to see Mexican cuisine as a viable source of sustenance, with the New Jersey venture opening as a seasonal operation in 2012. Feeling he was missing out on an opportunity in his home state, he duplicated his delight in becoming a local presence and credits a simple creed for helping The Wild Burrito to succeed.
“Being transparent is huge to us,” Carpenter said of proceedings at the establishment, whose emphasis on patient preparation and compositional integrity comes through in the menu’s Wild Pledge. “We want everyone to be aware of how much we respect different tastes and preferences, too, which we acknowledge through the personalization of items.”
He explained that his space, which abounds in vegetarian and vegan dishes, with gluten-free quesadillas also available for patrons’ chewing pleasure, prides itself on being a purveyor of healthy products, with customer Bridget Foy-Graven bearing witness to the validity of The Wild Burrito’s mission.
“Many places lack in truly good choices,” she said upon finishing a late lunch with her daughter. “Here, you know you’re getting food from people who know how to appeal to your interest in having filling yet consequence-free food.”
Carpenter further connects with consumers by aiming for ingenuity in composing his menu. That quest becomes apparent to tastebuds through an order of Original Avocado Fries, the recipe for which he chose to share.
“I know of only one other place that has them, and I’d say ours are far superior,” he said. “We’re very proud to feature them, and I’m happy to let a larger audience know how we do them. If you try to make them on your own, the process might take some time because of the attention you have to give to the avocados, but the results are definitely worth it.”
Ingredients:
10 avocados
14 ounces of coconut milk
50 ounces of ground tortilla chips
1/2 cup of cornstarch
Directions:
Cut, slice, and peel the avocados. Mix the coconut milk and the cornstarch to form a batter. Dip the avocados in the batter, and coat them with the tortilla chips. Deep fry the slices for two minutes. SPR
The Wild Burrito
2015 E. Moyamensing Ave.
Owner: Joe Carpenter
Opened: January 2016
215–336–9453
thewildburrito.net
