in article , Dog3 at
dognospam@adjfkdla;not wrote on 10/30/04 4:33 PM:

> Our 1st Trader Joe's had the grand opening on Friday. It is not too far
> from my house. I've seen the store mentioned in threads in the past. What
> do the people that shop there think about it? I'm leafing through their
> Grand Opening brochure and they have what looks to be some very decent
> items. Except the 60% brie. It does not sound so good to me. The prices
> look pretty good too. Not low but not as high as Straub's. I think I'm
> going to mosey over there tomorrow and have a look-see.
>
> Michael


There are things that Trader Joes has that are superior to the supermarket,
either in price or quality. There are things that you can get at TJ's that
you can't get at the supermarket, and there are things I would never buy
there, for various reasons.

There are some things I always shop there for b/c I know they have the best
combination of price and quality (comparable quality elsewhere is more
expensive....or you get better quality at TJ's for the same supermarket
price).

Examples of this sort of thing a
All nuts and dried fruits.
They have the best assortment of both and the prices are fair and
reasonable. I have become addicted to dried fruit and nuts in oatmeal and I
pick up dried fruits mixtures that are already chopped up perfectly for my
breakfast, for the same price per pound as the whole dried fruits at the
market. Less work for me, and they are not in self-serve bins, where
someone's dirty fingers could have been. This is a win/win for me.
Same for the nuts. I had no idea there were so many ways to buy almonds!
Blanched, raw, toasted, roasted in olive oil from the mediterranean, salted,
unsalted, seasoned, sliced, slivered, chopped, whole, etc! And combinations
of the above, in some cases! And no one beats their walnuts. $3.49 a pound,
which is half the price of Diamond walnuts at the market, and you can get
the halves (which are big and delicious) or chopped.

Their balsamic vinegar is very good. They have 3-4 different ages....and the
price goes up the older you go. The $3 is the youngest, and for the price,
it's better than stuff I've paid twice that in the supermarket. I've done
side by side comparisons...TJ's cheap balsamico beats anyone else's cheap
balsamico, hands down.

Their olive oil, on the other hand, is iffy. I have bought their own brand
and something called "Santini". My problem with their olive oil is that
sometimes it's rancid when you buy it. Sometimes it doesn't take long to
turn rancid. The good news is, they take things back without hesitation, so
if you get a bad bottle, you haven't lost anything but the time it takes to
bring it back. I have learned to taste a drop of olive oil before adding it
to other food.

Their cheese department is not cheap. But the prices are better than the
supermarket. They do not have a lot of depth, however. They might have
gruyere today, but not next week. I like a Swedish Fontina that I get there
once in awhile, but they don't always have it. Their Reggianito from
Argentina is a step up from the US made parmesan cheese, and it's about 1/3
the price of Parmagiano Reggiano, and it's almost as good. Their cheese
department is definitely worth a look, and most definitely worth going there
before going elsewhere.

Their frozen veggies are very good! Prices are lower than Green Giant or
Birdseye at the market and they really taste closer to fresh than either of
those brands. The broccoli florets are outstanding! They have things I've
never seen elsewhe a couple different mushroom medleys. frozen
artichokes, a choice of thick or thin asparagus, frozen soybeans, lots of
different things. Organic frozen veggies, too, if that matters to you.

Their frozen desserts are truly outstanding, both in taste and value. Lots
of choices. You'd expect to pay more for stuff that tastes and looks this
good.

What I really love TJs for, besides their dried fruit and nuts, is what I
call their "antipasto" aisle. They have all sorts of jars of
"stuff"....olives, marinated mushrooms, peppers, etc, red pepper and
eggplant spread, various tapenades, all manner of yummy things that can be
arranged in bowls platter with crackers or toasts (which they have a nice
variety of) and you have a party without a lot of fuss.

The stuff I don't buy there are their meats and produce. The fresh fruit
and veggies are pre-packaged and you can't select the items or quantity. The
packages are generally too big for my one-person household. YMMV, of course.
Their meats--to me the prices are too high for pre-packaged meat. For what
they charge, I can buy meat from an actual meat-market, and i know it's
fresh and it's been cut just for me. I dunno, i prefer to buy meat where I
know there is high turnover. That's just me, though. They do have meats
frozen....I've never bought them b/c the chicken breasts have solution
added, and I prefer not to buy that. Same with some of the lamb
products...i'm fussy with meat.

I have had mixed results with milk there. Sometimes it's fine. Othertimes,
it spoils very quickly. I don't buy milk there, either. Again, I buy milk
where it has high turnover.

Their snacks (chips, pretzels, etc) to me, are overpriced. And I don't find
the quality worth the extra money. Their salsas are good though.