Best Items at Trader Joe's

[patrickBOOTH]

I think the store is a fad.

 

[Biggskip]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

I think the store is a fad.
Interesting that you say that. I tend to think that they work hard to do two things well: - Sell commodity items not commonly found at other stores for a very reasonable price (e.g. organic meat and produce). - Consistently develop tasty new products that are unique to their store (e.g. pre-packaged Indian food, maple cookies). With regard to the first item that is certainly something that can/will erode as competing supermarkets update their inventory to reflect changing demand. As the second point, while many of the things that TJs makes can be found here and there, TJs makes it convenient to get them all in one place. That and they consistently deliver on the quality of their foods and often make them available for samples.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

I think the store is a fad.

it's only a fad insofar as it involves people expecting it to be something it's not. it's not intended to be a whole foods substitute, or a chain of high-end groceries, even. if you want to characterize it simply, it's "gourmet value": they offer aspirational products -- some of them very good, some of them not -- at a very affordable price. because of their pricing structure, they're never going to have neals yard cheeses or great red burgundies. but they do offer reliably among the best prices on an acceptable level of real parmigiano, olive oil, etc.

 

[mordecai]

i see you have become trapped in this thread. shall i send for help?

 

[Daseinflaw]

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Really good back-up lunch in case I don't have time to cook something.

 

[Nosu3]

I have yet to go in the Trader Joe's store but will next week. I hear the battered sweet potato fries are good.

 

[cocostella]

Greek yogurt
Salsa
Canned wild caught salmon
Grass fed/organic ground beef
Tom's toothpaste
Dr Bronners
Yogurt covered pretzels
Frozen wild caught fish

 

[willpower]

Originally Posted by Daseinflaw

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Really good back-up lunch in case I don't have time to cook something.

Oh hell yes. I love that stuff. I've got 2 cartons in the fridge.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by Daseinflaw

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Really good back-up lunch in case I don't have time to cook something.

There is a spicy black bean one that is pretty good too.

 

[Daseinflaw]

Originally Posted by otc

There is a spicy black bean one that is pretty good too.

I just got some today--definitely buying this and the tomato red pepper from now on.

 

[acularw]

The prepackaged tuna in curry sauce for $1.49 is my favorite thing.

The location I go to is usually pretty busy, but what I like is that I can just make one circle through the store and get 90% of what I need without having to hunt down 20 different mega-grocery store aisles. Yeah, some of their produce sucks, but I think they are the best overall value of any grocery store (at least in Minneapolis).

 

[Davidko19]

Just went to one for the first time in years a few days ago just cause I was next to it. The tomato basil humus is awesome. It was gone in 24 hours. The greek yogurt is a good buy, 8 oz for 1.29.

Lots of hot moms too. But I'm still a fresh and sleazy kinda guy.

 

[willpower]

Originally Posted by Davidko19

Just went to one for the first time in years a few days ago just cause I was next to it. The tomato basil humus is awesome. It was gone in 24 hours. The greek yogurt is a good buy, 8 oz for 1.29.

Lots of hot moms too. But I'm still a fresh and sleazy kinda guy.

Talk about Greek yogurt!

 

[hugeevilrobot]

Originally Posted by Daseinflaw

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup.
Really good back-up lunch in case I don't have time to cook something.

Another vote for this, always good to have some on hand, and goes awesome with grilled cheese.

Their Indian sauces are also quite good, not as good as the real thing obviously, but not bad cooked up in a clay pot with chicken and veggies for a good lazy dinner.

 

[Johdus Fanfoozal]

The pumpkin tart available only in autumn.

Unlike most pumpkin pies, this has the perfect ratio of pumpkin to crust. Pumpkin is well seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. The crust is nice and thick, but not hard.