I've been to Trader Joes's in Chicago once, as an adventure. The cheap caviar
worked well enough in the taramasalata (turned it sort of purple - kind of a
nice twist; tasted OK) and I am munching on their olives. The 3 buck chuck is
a good deal.

But I don't like the place. It's a Disneyland cartoon version of the co-op I
shopped at, belonged to in college. I don't like chains. I shop at a real
vegetible market less than a mile from this store and there is at lest one
ethnic grocer nearby where I usually get the tarama. There are Mexican, Puerto
Rican, Polish and Korean supermarkets within a short bus ride where I get
better stuff than at Trader Joe's. I can get to great Arabic and Indian
neighborhoods and markets in 45 minutes on public transportation.

Maybe I'm spoiled. If you live in a suburb or a red state, good luck with the
Trader Joe's franchise.

michael