Trader Joes?

[Norse]

When DP and I left southern CA to move back to MN there were only a few things we missed: first and foremost, our friends, then the ocean, cheap produce available year-round and ... Trader Joe's. We whooped it up when they finally opened one in a nearby burb and whooped even more when they opened one mere blocks from our house.

About the only items we generally do not buy there are meat products (buy from local farmers), although we do love the burgandy/pepper marinated lamb roast. We stop at least a couple times/week as they have good stuff and are cheaper than regular grocery stores. Some of our favorites or stock purchases:
Greek yogurt
Tuscan bread
Garlic roasted hummus
oriental crackers
multi-grain crackers
salsa
bags of spinach and arugula for us
frozen spinach for making our dog's food
baby carrots that our dog eats for treats
dried chicken breasts, again for the dog
McCann's steel cut oatmeal
various frozen lunch items (love the new 4-cheese pasta)
chicken stock
roasted red pepper/tomato soup
pasta
olive oil (for all-purpose use; I buyer a nicer one from a local grocer for use where the oil is the star)
ham & gruyere tart (pizza-like item that I swoon over)
soy ice cream
biscotti
lava cakes (soooooo good!)
apple blossoms
shampoo
soap
face lotion and hand lotion
fresh-cut flowers
wine and beer
charcoal

I just stopped last night and picked up some bell peppers for use w/dinner this week, more carrots for the dog, tuscan bread, and some items for upcoming holiday baking including organic canned pumpkin and a 5 lb. bag of russet potatoes for lefse. We love TJs.

[channlluv]

There's not much I can add to the growing shopping list here, except to say that I like their produce. I buy their romaine lettuce and Brussels sprouts and they have a cut veggie bowl for $2.29 that makes salad prep a breeze and lasts three or four meals.

I also like some of their prepared foods -- they have these little seafood cup things that are delicious and not nearly as fattening as you'd think.

What I like about shopping there is that I've never seen an ingredient list with hydrolyzed oils. I feel pretty confident shopping there that it's more "real" food than I'd find in the local Safeway/Vons.

I love their Vanilla 0% Greek yogurt, which I top off with their pomegranate seeds and raw almonds.

Good, good stuff. I also like the quality of their meats -- their steaks are more tender and their chicken, too. I also buy the nitrate/nitrite-free turkey bacon there and it actually tastes good, unlike the Jennie-O stuff I used to get at Vons.

And TJ's is also the only place I've found sprouted grain loaves of bread, and they're only $2.39. And I haven't had any in a long time (pre-SouthBeach), but their sprouted grain bagels are super.

Roxy

[PamNY]

I love Trader Joe's. There's one located near a big farmer's market, and there's one located near the hawk nest I watch. Can't beat that for combining trips.

I love their peanut and almond butters, Greek yogurt, and hummus. I also like their tea selection. Irish Breakfast packs a nice morning punch.

Overall, TJ's quality is good. Just experiment to find out what you do and don't like. Prices are excellent so you can't really go wrong.

Our TJ's run out of things fairly often, especially if you shop at night. I've learned to accept that as part of the overall TJ's experience.