Heya all,

While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
yet, and maybe never will.

I went there a few days ago, and had a blast. I found the ends of
Panchetta rolls on sale...and got a package. Now I am trying to
figure out how I can use this..they look great! I might go back and
get another package and stick it in the freezer to take back with me
to NM in May. The price was great.

They also had some wonderful cheeses..of which I didn't get much. I
have a budget which I trying to stick to..

But the real winner tonight is...a Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc...for
$3.99/bottle. I only got one bottle. I should have gotten a case. It
is so very, very good!!!

In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
had in a long time.

It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
fast..and never appear again. Like the time about 10 years ago, when
they had some fantastic wine for about $1/bottle. I got a few
bottles, and shared it with a wine loving friend. We both agreed it
was a fantastic bargain. I went back to get more..and it was gone.

I think I will stop by the store this week and pick up more of the
Sauvignon Blanc and the pancetta ends.

Christine

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:55:53 -0800, Blinky the Shark
> wrote:

>Christine Dabney wrote:
>
>[about shopping]
>
>If it's not in your home area so you're used to it, you might have fun
>snooping around at a Smart & Final. It's not a sophisticated food and
>tools place; it's commercial. Might be new/fun, though. There's one just
>north of you in...I guess it would be Lawndale (or the very edge of
>Manhattan Beach). I dunno about Torrance.

I know Smart and Final very well. Remember, I used to live in CA, and
especially northern Cal. I was a frequent customer of them for some
things.

But that being said, Grocery Outlet is a thing unto itself. They
sometimes have incredible bargains no one else has. It is always a
wonderful experience..just to find that thing that is on sale for an
incredible price... ANd sometimes those things are priced out the
whazoo elsewhere...

Christine

In article >,
Christine Dabney > wrote:

> But the real winner tonight is...a Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc...for
> $3.99/bottle. I only got one bottle. I should have gotten a case. It
> is so very, very good!!!

Hey no fair, that's less than WE pay for it!

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:23:51 +1300, Miche >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Christine Dabney > wrote:
>
>> But the real winner tonight is...a Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc...for
>> $3.99/bottle. I only got one bottle. I should have gotten a case. It
>> is so very, very good!!!
>
>Hey no fair, that's less than WE pay for it!
>
>Miche

Neener, neener, neener!!!!

Christine

Christine Dabney wrote:

[about shopping]

If it's not in your home area so you're used to it, you might have fun
snooping around at a Smart & Final. It's not a sophisticated food and
tools place; it's commercial. Might be new/fun, though. There's one just
north of you in...I guess it would be Lawndale (or the very edge of
Manhattan Beach). I dunno about Torrance.

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

In article >,
Christine Dabney > wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:23:51 +1300, Miche >
> wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > Christine Dabney > wrote:
> >
> >> But the real winner tonight is...a Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc...for
> >> $3.99/bottle. I only got one bottle. I should have gotten a case. It
> >> is so very, very good!!!
> >
> >Hey no fair, that's less than WE pay for it!

> Neener, neener, neener!!!!

:P

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
...
> Heya all,
>
> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
> yet, and maybe never will.
>
> I went there a few days ago, and had a blast. I found the ends of
> Panchetta rolls on sale...and got a package. Now I am trying to
> figure out how I can use this..they look great! I might go back and
> get another package and stick it in the freezer to take back with me
> to NM in May. The price was great.
>
> They also had some wonderful cheeses..of which I didn't get much. I
> have a budget which I trying to stick to..
>
> But the real winner tonight is...a Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc...for
> $3.99/bottle. I only got one bottle. I should have gotten a case. It
> is so very, very good!!!
>
> In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
> Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
> bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
> on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
> had in a long time.
>
> It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
> need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
> fast..and never appear again. Like the time about 10 years ago, when
> they had some fantastic wine for about $1/bottle. I got a few
> bottles, and shared it with a wine loving friend. We both agreed it
> was a fantastic bargain. I went back to get more..and it was gone.
>
> I think I will stop by the store this week and pick up more of the
> Sauvignon Blanc and the pancetta ends.
>

Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.

Paul

Paul M. Cook wrote:
> "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Heya all,
>>
>> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
>> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
>> yet, and maybe never will.
>>
(snippety)
>>
>> In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
>> Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
>> bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
>> on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
>> had in a long time.
>>
>> It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
>> need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
>> fast..and never appear again.
>>
>
> Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.
>
There isn't a TJ's near me in the Memphis area and certainly not one where I
am now. But I've noticed a few people here comment the quality and product
availability at TJ's has gone downhill. Do you find that to be the case?
Or is it simply (as has also been mentioned) they'll stock something for a
while, people love it, then it vanishes? (This seems to be true of many
things I purchase, regardless of the store. Some things I can get the
manager to order, other things were discontinued by the manufacturer.)

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Heya all,
>>>
>>> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
>>> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
>>> yet, and maybe never will.
>>>
> (snippety)
>>>
>>> In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
>>> Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
>>> bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
>>> on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
>>> had in a long time.
>>>
>>> It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
>>> need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
>>> fast..and never appear again.
>>>
>>
>> Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.
>>
> There isn't a TJ's near me in the Memphis area and certainly not one where
> I am now. But I've noticed a few people here comment the quality and
> product availability at TJ's has gone downhill. Do you find that to be
> the case? Or is it simply (as has also been mentioned) they'll stock
> something for a while, people love it, then it vanishes? (This seems to
> be true of many things I purchase, regardless of the store. Some things I
> can get the manager to order, other things were discontinued by the
> manufacturer.)


They shifted their company model from what was a store that bought up huge
amounts of goods from all over the world and sold them dirt cheap in their
stores. So you never knew what they would have. The Fearless Flyer was
always much anticipated because it was packed full of some wonderful and
often unique items. It was rare that they would ever have some of those
things again because they were one time deals. Now it is simply a discount
market and they sell the same things over and over. They do tend to remove
things often with no explanation. Even though an item may be a big seller
in one area it is a poor performer overall. This is the corporate model,
the bottom line is the bottom line and all inclusive. All stores sell the
same stuff. They just opened a new store in my town and it is a carbon copy
of the other one across town. Same stuff, same shelf order, same design.
Corporate uniformity.

Paul

Christine Dabney wrote:
> Heya all,
>
> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
> yet, and maybe never will.

I love that place. I get really good prices on good cheese (goat
cheese, brie, aged cheddar, etc.), frozen foods, dry pasta, etc.
Oh, and canned fish -- kipper snacks, tuna, salmon, etc. Good brands
for about half what we'd pay in the regular grocery store.

Serene

The Kat wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:42:29 -0700, Christine Dabney
> > wrote:
>
>>Heya all,
>>
>>While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one of
>>my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM yet,
>>and maybe never will.
>
> Please don't mistake Los Angeles for Southern California.

Last time I looked, that's where it was. Christine is in both.

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:07:51 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Heya all,
>>>
>>> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
>>> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
>>> yet, and maybe never will.
>>>
>(snippety)
>>>
>>> In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
>>> Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
>>> bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
>>> on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
>>> had in a long time.
>>>
>>> It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
>>> need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
>>> fast..and never appear again.
>>>
>>
>> Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.
>>
>There isn't a TJ's near me in the Memphis area and certainly not one where I
>am now. But I've noticed a few people here comment the quality and product
>availability at TJ's has gone downhill. Do you find that to be the case?
>Or is it simply (as has also been mentioned) they'll stock something for a
>while, people love it, then it vanishes? (This seems to be true of many
>things I purchase, regardless of the store. Some things I can get the
>manager to order, other things were discontinued by the manufacturer.)
>
This stock now, gone later was the basis of Trader Joe's. It's *not*
a grocery store in spite of what people want it to be. Fortunately or
unfortunately (depending on your POV), TJ's now has store brands that
you know will be there the next time you shop and has even ventured
into stocking everything from detergent to dog food on a regular
basis.


--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
news
> The Kat wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:42:29 -0700, Christine Dabney
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>Heya all,
>>>
>>>While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one of
>>>my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM yet,
>>>and maybe never will.
>>
>> Please don't mistake Los Angeles for Southern California.
>
> Last time I looked, that's where it was. Christine is in both.
>
> --
> Blinky
> Killing all posts from Google Groups
> The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
> Blinky: http://blinkynet.net
>

Unless you consider LA Northern Mexico

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:07:51 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>Paul M. Cook wrote:

>> Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.
>>
>There isn't a TJ's near me in the Memphis area and certainly not one where I
>am now. But I've noticed a few people here comment the quality and product
>availability at TJ's has gone downhill. Do you find that to be the case?
>Or is it simply (as has also been mentioned) they'll stock something for a
>while, people love it, then it vanishes? (This seems to be true of many
>things I purchase, regardless of the store. Some things I can get the
>manager to order, other things were discontinued by the manufacturer.)

I first started shopping at Trader Joe's store on National Bl. in LA
in 1977 or so. The building was small (one of the original stores) but
packed with wine and cheeses and odd little items not available
elsewhere.

Even back then, though, the founder's modus operandi was to find
manufacturers that were discontinuing a product line or had an
overabundance of a product. He would make a deal with them to buy
their surplus at a steep discount and pass the savings on to his
customer. So that great wine you found last month was likely to be
sold out forever the next time you returned. We learned to return
quickly when we found something we liked and stock up.

It was only after TJ's was acquired by Aldi(?), a German company, that
TJ's began to contract with manufacturers to make products for them at
a reduced price. The founder stayed on as a consultant for a while and
kept things much as they were, but after he retired completely, we
began to see the evolution of Trader Joe's to what it is today.

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:57:00 -0700, "Mike"
> fired up random neurons and synapses to
opine:
>
>"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
>news
>> The Kat wrote:

>>> Please don't mistake Los Angeles for Southern California.
>>
>> Last time I looked, that's where it was. Christine is in both.

I missed the post about mistaking "Los Angeles for Southern
California," so I trotted over to Google Groups to have a look. Not
surprisingly, the author has asked that the post not be archived. I
mean, if you look at a map of California, LA is really, really south.
There are only 2 counties between LA County and Mexico: Orange County
and San Diego County. So, that puts LA pretty much southern
California, wouldn't you say?

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd...with nothin' better to do tonight
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:08:27 -0700, Jed
> wrote:

>It was only after TJ's was acquired by Aldi(?), a German company, that
>TJ's began to contract with manufacturers to make products for them at
>a reduced price. The founder stayed on as a consultant for a while and
>kept things much as they were, but after he retired completely, we
>began to see the evolution of Trader Joe's to what it is today.

Thanks for the history lesson. I only knew that TJ's is just a shadow
of its former self.... a reliable shadow, but not as exciting or
interesting as it used to be.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:

> On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:57:00 -0700, "Mike" >
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>>
>>"Blinky the Shark" > wrote in message
>>news
>>> The Kat wrote:
>
>>>> Please don't mistake Los Angeles for Southern California.
>>>
>>> Last time I looked, that's where it was. Christine is in both.
>
> I missed the post about mistaking "Los Angeles for Southern California,"
> so I trotted over to Google Groups to have a look. Not surprisingly, the
> author has asked that the post not be archived. I mean, if you look at a
> map of California, LA is really, really south. There are only 2 counties
> between LA County and Mexico: Orange County and San Diego County. So, that
> puts LA pretty much southern California, wouldn't you say?

I not only would, I did.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:54:43 -0700, sf wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:08:27 -0700, Jed
> wrote:
>
>>It was only after TJ's was acquired by Aldi(?), a German company, that
>>TJ's began to contract with manufacturers to make products for them at
>>a reduced price. The founder stayed on as a consultant for a while and
>>kept things much as they were, but after he retired completely, we
>>began to see the evolution of Trader Joe's to what it is today.

The store was sold to Theo Albrecht (he ran the European Aldi's
companies, his brother ran the US ones) in 1979. So the Aldi's you
know in the US has nothing whatsoever to do with TJ's.

>Thanks for the history lesson. I only knew that TJ's is just a shadow
>of its former self.... a reliable shadow, but not as exciting or
>interesting as it used to be.

When are you talking of the "former self" existing? More than 30 years
ago when it was sold to Albrecht? Coloumbe, the original owner, left
in 1989 - almost 20 years ago. Is that the former self you recall?

Boron

On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:49:08 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:54:43 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:08:27 -0700, Jed
> wrote:
>>
>>>It was only after TJ's was acquired by Aldi(?), a German company, that
>>>TJ's began to contract with manufacturers to make products for them at
>>>a reduced price. The founder stayed on as a consultant for a while and
>>>kept things much as they were, but after he retired completely, we
>>>began to see the evolution of Trader Joe's to what it is today.
>
>The store was sold to Theo Albrecht (he ran the European Aldi's
>companies, his brother ran the US ones) in 1979. So the Aldi's you
>know in the US has nothing whatsoever to do with TJ's.

I have only heard of Aldi's here in RFC. The name means absolutely
nothing to me.
>
>>Thanks for the history lesson. I only knew that TJ's is just a shadow
>>of its former self.... a reliable shadow, but not as exciting or
>>interesting as it used to be.
>
>When are you talking of the "former self" existing? More than 30 years
>ago when it was sold to Albrecht? Coloumbe, the original owner, left
>in 1989 - almost 20 years ago. Is that the former self you recall?
>
I've never tracked who owned it, or even cared for that matter. My
perspective is before '80.... early to mid '70s. I used to cross the
Golden Gate Bridge (when gas was dirt cheap and crossing the bridge
was 25¢ in each direction) to go to the San Rafael store, which was
probably their only outlet in NoCal at the time. It was a long time
before TJ's opened here in SF and I had absolutely no idea it was a
SoCal chain at the time. I just knew their cheeses were worth
traveling to buy even a small amount.

What I remember about the store is it was "rustic" (similar to a
dented can type establishment) with fantastic cheese at unbelievably
low prices. They also had lots of inexpensive wine, all of them one
time only buys... with occasional exceptional wines, one of which was
a "sparkling" or "fizzy" deep red colored wine from Spain that I'll
never forget. The rest of TJ's stock was just plain forgettable.


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remove the smile first

On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:20:36 -0700, sf wrote:

>On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:49:08 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:
>

>What I remember about the store is it was "rustic" (similar to a
>dented can type establishment) with fantastic cheese at unbelievably
>low prices. They also had lots of inexpensive wine, all of them one
>time only buys... with occasional exceptional wines, one of which was
>a "sparkling" or "fizzy" deep red colored wine from Spain that I'll
>never forget. The rest of TJ's stock was just plain forgettable.


Ahhh, once you go back 30 years, it is impossible to compare much of
anything to today's stores...or to much else of today.

Hell my favorite slacks then were a size 3 and I grocery shopped at
Balducci's in the village, when the Balduccii family still waited on
people. I think a ride on the subway was 35 cents and top price B'way
tickets for a musical on Saturday night were $15.

Boron

Boron wrote on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:31:51 -0400:

??>> On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:49:08 -0400, Boron Elgar
??>> > wrote:
??>>
??>> What I remember about the store is it was "rustic"
??>> (similar to a dented can type establishment) with
??>> fantastic cheese at unbelievably low prices. They also
??>> had lots of inexpensive wine, all of them one time only
??>> buys... with occasional exceptional wines, one of which
??>> was a "sparkling" or "fizzy" deep red colored wine from
??>> Spain that I'll never forget. The rest of TJ's stock was
??>> just plain forgettable.

BE> Ahhh, once you go back 30 years, it is impossible to
BE> compare much of anything to today's stores...or to much
BE> else of today.

BE> Hell my favorite slacks then were a size 3 and I grocery
BE> shopped at Balducci's in the village, when the Balduccii
BE> family still waited on people. I think a ride on the subway
BE> was 35 cents and top price B'way tickets for a musical on
BE> Saturday night were $15.

I have only patronized TJ's since their expansion in the last 10
years. For most things that they sell I find the quality high
and the selection good tho' I wish they would not sell
vegetables in sealed packed too large for my requirements. On
the other hand, I am extremely enthusiastic about their banana
pricing: by number not weight!

Did Balducci's sell clothes? They may not be the same people but
they are the most high-priced quality ( an accurate adjective!)
supermarket around here.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:25:59 GMT, "James Silverton"
> wrote:


>Did Balducci's sell clothes? They may not be the same people but
>they are the most high-priced quality ( an accurate adjective!)
>supermarket around here.

Balducci's was a relatively small specialty market, with excellent
produce, meats, cheeses, fish and import products. Never cheap, but
family run and they carried things that most other stores did not in
those days. They expanded into a lot of carry-out foods and bakery and
that, too was good, but at some point, the older generation of owners
died off and the store was sold to a conglomerate of some sort, and
that, as they say, was that. The name still exists, but it isn't the
same.

Boron