Girl From Empanada

Joyce Fragoso’s Business is Just Getting Warmed Up

BY RICHARD POSLUSZNY

Here in Bergen County, we’re rich with diversity, which manifests itself intures is through the variety of cuisines avail-

Over the years, though, I’ve been in searchlaunched recently, you ask?

Joyce’s ancestors on her maternal side had -

Starting when Joyce was a little girl, she would observe — and eventually participate in — the food preparation. Joyce says she was lucky that her mother was a wonderful cook that taught her about the love of food and family. During those gatherings, her mother, aunts and grandmother would be humming with activity in the kitchen. This served as her training grounds. For example, this is where she describes, using “layering” techniques. By doing so, it adds more dimensionality to her respective dishes. rosemary and wild thyme, placing the herbs in her grandmother’s folded apron. Something tells me this likely inspired Joyce’s use of the freshest possible ingredients for her empanadas —more on that later.

This was merely the start though. That’s because Joyce also spent time with her relatives in France. She fondly remembers summers outside of Avignon and preparing food with her grandmother.

But, that’s not all. Joyce’s father was an aspiring baker, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that some of the world’s best pastry chefs call France home, and the country’s well known for its delicious desserts. Although he was not able to successfully bootstrap his own bakery once he made it stateside, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his burning passion. For family gatherings he would meticulously prepare the most wonderful treats, says Fragoso.

With this type of upbringing and emphasis on bringing joy to people via delightful dishes, it makes sense why Joyce was driven to open Girl From Empanada. Simply put, it’s in her DNA.

Although Joyce took a detour as a teacher for many her lifelong desire. After all, she had been incubating the idea of her own food-related business for nearly three decades. The catalyst: The COVID-19 pandemic. Although it was a devastating situation across the globe, for Fragoso, it was a watershed moment that gave her the push to pursue her dream.

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CONTACT wekneadthedoughcookies@gmail.com

With the support of her husband, Joyce dove in

But rather than take an aggressive approach to get her empanadas to market, Joyce decided to take a - is quick to point out that the meat she sources has a

Now empowered with the help of an assistant and a fully dedicated space for Girl From Empanada, Joyce is excited about ways to potentially expand lunch specials and adding more items to the menu.

Aspirationally Joyce would like to see her empanadas eventually make their way to a grocery store near you but, she’s quick to keep herself in check. What’s top of mind today, and into the near future, is keeping her customers happy with a high-quality product.

At the end of the day, Joyce wants to continue doing what she’s loved all along: Bringing people together through the power of great food.

Look out for Girl From Empanada at Tarrytown’s Saturday TaSH Farmer’s Market, which is located in Patriot’s Park. Additionally, you can visit the shop, which is located at 133 Kinderkamack Road in Park Ridge. For hours, check out its website at www.girlfromempanada.biz.