The one I find annoying is when they say that food melts in your mouth. I know that has been around forever but unless its Ice Cream or chocolate, why would it melt in your mouth? Or like cuts like butter, but excuse me, have you ever taken a stick of butter out of the freezer and tried to cut it? it has a very short time frame when you can actually cut it without it falling apart. OK, I said my peace for now. :)
cake like warm from the oven with ice cream on it. that is the best way. NO NUTS.
Trader Joes, they have the best nut selection there ever, all kinds of mixes with dried fruit, raw, roasted, salted, unsalted nuts of every kind there. Reminds me that I am almost out.
They also have many things under their own name that are most times better than what they are imitating. :)
When you walk past Garrett's you are drawn in like a magnetic force. The smell is so delightful that you don't mind waiting in line at all. All of their popcorn is wonderful. The difference is that you can eat this popcorn tomorrow and it still tastes wonderful.
I keep mine in either the refrigerator or the freezer. I am always afraid it will spoil on the counter. If you have ever been the victim of food poisoning you never put anything on the counter that is perishable. Probably is perfectly safe, just not something I would consider.
I like some weird combinations in my ice cream. I love mint pieces and chocolate chips, not fond of nuts, but I love apple pie, or brownies or anything you would normally put over ice cream, I love to freeze it together and have it frozen. Strawberries, blueberries and baked apples are good in ice cream too, you should really try it. Some time when you have a hot brownie with ice cream on it and you cannot finish it (I know, doesn't sound possible) put the rest of it, in the freezer all smashed together and have it later. It is yummier than you would think. I am not really sure if they are weird combinations but I like them.
I love TJs. They have great prices on frozen blueberries and edamame, organic milk and butter, nuts and dried fruits of all varieties, goat cheese, organic rolled oats, delicious freshly-squeezed OJ (it won first place in the SF Chronicle's tasting of store-bought OJs), and nitrite-free bacon. I'm also a huge fan of their eggplant hummus and tzatziki.
You really should try their chunky applesauce, it's great! virginia
Chewy! Not fudgy or cakey, and without nuts.
I only recently discovered Trader Joe's and have only been there twice so far!
I love the Bay Blend Coffee. Strong delicious cup of coffee! Macaroni & Cheese...Yum! Chocolate covered cranberries...Yum! Sicilia Nero d' Avola red wine...great red wine for 4.99! Italian Tiramisu Gelato...Yum!
Things I absolutely hated are Buffalo Wings...hot sauce had gritty taste, wings were greasy and fatty...yuck! Many people like the orange chicken. When I bought it, I though the chicken would be white meat, but it was all dark meat. I hate dark meat chicken. Anyone who enjoys dark meat would enjoy this. The orange sauce that comes with this are in packets and after baking chicken, you mix it with the orange sauce. Would love this if it came with white meat instead of dark!
What exactly are Cats Cookies???
@ prieta: Pretty much all stores do that with their eggs. You'll hear that story from anyone who has ever worked at a supermarket...though I am disappointed to hear that TJ's does it, that's definitely industry standard.
I LOVE TJ's. Mostly for its inexpensive frozen fruit (great for smoothies), frozen seafood, inexpensive and excellent dairy (same as Clover brand), nuts, and its lettuce/salad selection. Condiments are excellent, too, and inexpensive: peanut butter, jams, oils, vinegars, etc.
They don't carry any dried beans, though, only canned, so the first time I went there looking for pinto beans (NOT canned) I was so irritated at the yuppieness of it that I didn't go back for a year. But I got over it.
A friend of mine who's a dairy buyer for WFM told me that TJ's sells its eggs so cheap 'cause they change the "best by" date so that they can sell them beyond the expiration date. But I go through eggs so fast that it's never made a difference to me, and they are great eggs, with rich, deep yellow/orange yolks.
I have noticed that their packaging on certain items (granola, chips) oftren sucks and the food inside is stale when I buy it, so I just stay away from those items.
All in all, though, there are definitely some gems at TJ's, and this is coming from a very picky cook/eater/shopper. Produce is so-so, though they do carry some excellent basics at great prices (bananas, onions, tomatoes, avocados).
And let's not forget their wonderful wine and spirits selection. No BevMo, but it does the trick.
I've been going to Trader Joe's for close to 13 years, ever since the first one opened in my hometown in California when I was a teenager. The way they keep their prices low is by buying in bulk, and the quality of the food is obvious. I don't think that many people on Serious Eats would be fooled by their "atmosphere" - they have really good stuff.
I actually don't buy that much of their prepared food, as a lot of it's too salty for me (but their chili and green cheese tamales are great) - I do get nuts, tofu, frozen fruit, tortillas, cheese, cooking oils, vegetable stock, grains, and other staples for so much less than I would pay at Whole Foods, and a lot of the time, less than I'd pay at a big grocery (and much higher quality).
Also, their vitamins are extremely inexpensive, and when I was in high-school chemistry we tested our multivitamins to see which had the closest amounts of certain vitamins to what was listed on the label, and my Trader Joe's multivitamin was the best in the class.
I know there's no big company out there that isn't primarily looking to make a dime, but based on my experiences with Trader Joe's over the years and talking to folks I know who have worked there, they are the real deal. They're good to their employees and use savvy buying strategies to offer quality goods at lower prices than their competition.
@Lou, I am a locatelli girl. Been eating it all my life. I have seen all the romanos come and go nothing is quite as piquant and has as much bite with salty after tones as Locatelli brand pecarino romano cheese. Is that better for you pisano? I hardly ever use parmigiano or parmesan. I do like a a few other cheeses but not that one to me it is overrated. Just my opinion.
I give my dogs the cat cookies. Tilapia and I have not seen it since January here and it was very good. All of their fish is flash frozen and so so fresh. Trader joes coffee. Haricot verts, edamame. The gelatos. The chocolate bars just over a pound 17 ounces of dark, milk and semi sweet, also broken up chunks of ghiardelli. The fancy italian sodas. I buy all my nuts there and dried fruits. The tiny peanut butter cups.
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