Insider’s Guide to Trader Joe’s
Kathy and I just got our very own Trader Joe’s — well, other than the 300 other people who are always in the store — about 20 minutes away, in Albuquerque.
Anybody who understands that the only proper way to sell avocados is in bags of 6 at a time, has my money.
When I first moved to Los Angeles, I would shop at Albertson’s first, and then stop by Trader Joe’s for specialty items I couldn’t find at Albertson’s.
At some point, however, I realized that the prices at Trader Joe’s prices were almost universally lower than at the chain supermarkets — at which time my Trader Joe’s fanaticism was born.
Until last month, we had to make the hour-long pilgrimage to Santa Fe to satisfy our Trader Joe’s cravings.
So with all that in mind, I was glad to see Diana recommend this Insider’s Guide to Trader Joe’s, which introduces New Yorkers to the phenomenon, on the occasion of their first Trader Joe’s store.
To round out their list, here are a few of my own favorite products:
- Spinach punjab simmer sauce. This stuff can turn a half-pound of lean hamburger into a deliciously flavorful main course. Terrific with steamed broccoli and carrots on the side.
- Italian dry salami. Located over by the racks of beef jerky. Made with wine and no nitrates. Worked well on my homemade pizza last weekend.
- Snackmasters beef jerky. Needless to say, I’m not a vegetarian. And this stuff is about the best beef jerkey I’ve tried: Not too salty, not too bland.
- Dry roasted and salted almonds. WOW. I can never eat just one handful. And I’ve found they work well as a way to add protein to a bowl of cold cereal (with Rice Dream vanilla “dairy beverage” since I don’t eat milk). Their entire nut section is full of good stuff, so if you’re not an almond fan, you can probably find something else that’s just up your (pun unavoidable) aisle.
- San Peligrino by the case. Kathy and I have learned to love San Peligrino with a twist of lemon. We’ve tried several other brands of sparkling water, in a pinch, and none of them have this loveable relationship to lemon. And Trader Joe’s usually has the best prices by the case.
- Those bags of avocados. In my quest to follow my O Blood Type Diet and reduce the amount of milk products that I eat, avocados have become a staple of my diet; they’re a delicious substitute for cheese. Leave them out on the counter until they give slightly to pressure (but aren’t squishy). Then they’re ripe and you can store them in the refrigerator for a week or more before they start going bad.
Bad experiences with Trader Joe’s? Haven’t had many. Their bread doesn’t hold up to the local bakery, but it’s rare that store-bought bread does.
And I hate, hate, hate their Victorian clip-art laden web site. Too impractical and they don’t keep their list of locations very up-to-date. (And trust me, I was watching for a few months, there.)
So, in general, if you live in a city where there is a Trader Joe’s, and haven’t tried them yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Agreed! Nice to know that word is spreading.
I know you are now into homemade pizzas. Perhaps it is a sacralige, but the frozen pizzas at TJ’s are excellent. And pizza served with glasses from a $2-bottle of award-winning Charles Taylor wine [that they sell] is an easy, cheap, surprizingly wonderful meal.
They have a GREAT deal on some of their teas. Their antioxidant-loaded naturally sweet White Tea is half the price of anywhere else.
Manual Trackback. This post is cited in Blogmandu, Roundup for Apr 9 - 15, 2006.
I can’t believe a site subtitled mindfullness and indvidualism would promote trader joes! The owners of aldi have gone to great lengths to convice people the are apart of this healthy gourmet trend with their other chain store.
Trader Joe’s is AMAZING! When I was in collge in Philaldephia, a TJ’s opened in a nearby suburb - let me tell you - a college student’s dream! Coming from a indepth cooking family, college fare was definitely not going to cut it for me, I wasn’t a ramen noodle eater...so, TJ’s gave me the opportunity to get great food for dirt cheap prices! Go if you haven’t yet!
I’m drinking some pomegranate white tea from TJs now. It’s wonderful.