Wild Fork - the meat and seafood market specializing in hard-to-find and unique cuts - has opened in Manhattan Beach at the corner of Sepulveda and Manhattan Beach Blvd.

A "soft" opening celebration will be held on Saturday, July 29, between noon and 4:00 p.m. with samples available to customers.

Wild Fork is known for its "blast-frozen" (products frozen instantly at super-low temperatures) meats and seafood. Aside from its traditional cuts of meat, its "rare finds" include alligator tenderloins, ground elk, ostrich fillets, racks of venison, bison steak, bone-in goat cubes, ground yak, quail, and more.

"We have the widest selection of protein available," store manager Santiago De Irala told MB News. "We have exotics like alligator, elk, venison, wild boar, and ostrich - plus over 150 different cuts of beef, as well as pork, chicken, lamb, and veal. We also offer more than 100 types of seafood with both finfish and shellfish."

Aside from meats and seafood, De Irala notes, Wild Fork also features frozen side dishes, croissants, breads, ready-to-cook and eat meals, pizzas imported from Italy, vegetables, and desserts.

Wild Fork promises a fresh product thanks to its blast-freezing process. De Irala explained: "Our products are blast-frozen at negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit for a very short time to lock in nutrients and preserve all the flavor. Blast freezing minimizes crystallization so that when we thaw the product at home it looks, smells and tastes as fresh, providing us with a delicious eating experience."

De Irala noted that many customers who are skeptical of the frozen products buy just a few things on their first visit... and then repeatedly come back and buy more each time. "The skeptical ones are usually our biggest converts," he said. 

Customers can expect "very friendly customer service with knowledgeable employees - and online ordering for in-store pick up or home delivery," he added. 

Wild Fork currently has 39 stores in the U.S. The Manhattan Beach store is the sixth store in California.

De Irala said that the company chose Manhattan Beach because it offered "an exceptional location with all the kinds of friendly people that typically enjoy our products: families, foodies, health conscious people, and those willing to explore new ways to nourish a better life."