can't tell if that's an endorsement or not (xpost)
― pithfork (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:07 (fourteen years ago) link
she's italian so yeah, tj's are better than i would expect
― velko, Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:08 (fourteen years ago) link
also: i highly recommend this pizza thing (i forget the name/brand), that is a super thin crust, caramelized onions, couple cheeses and prosciutto. it's amazing.
I like these too, they're not called pizzas, um, tarts maybe? Some kind of French-ish name.
I like the made-in-Italy pizzas, they have a few types, thought they seemed to have stopped carrying my favorite, the goat cheese and black olive one.
― nickn, Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:43 (fourteen years ago) link
they have this new product that's polenta balls, spinach, and peas in a tomato cream sauce. i bought it based on trying a sample a few visits ago, and it's fuckin great. will buy again.
― The Détourn of the Depressed (get bent), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:49 (fourteen years ago) link
"fuckin great" may be an overstatement, but it is pretty nice.
― The Détourn of the Depressed (get bent), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:50 (fourteen years ago) link
also i just saw those arancini mentioned upthread and wondered how they were. however, trying to steer away from carby/cheesy things in the new year and toward the resolution cliche of veg/fruit/grains.
― The Détourn of the Depressed (get bent), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 04:52 (fourteen years ago) link
if you're looking for healthy options at tj's, you could do much worse than the frozen soba noodle dish. it's vegan, 250 calories or something (their pad thai has 600!) and tasty enough for lunch if you add a little soy sauce/sriracha.
i don't mind it at least.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Will try that, A.
― Hoisin Murphy (jaymc), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:40 (fourteen years ago) link
i am a big fan of the annie chung's miso soup bowls, which they have at TJs and other grocery stores. they're low-cal also (i want to say like 220 calories) and filling, though they're probably pretty high in sodium, given that it's miso soup
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:43 (fourteen years ago) link
i like those! the udon is my favorite. i always add hot sauce and spinach.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Tuesday, 12 January 2010 17:46 (fourteen years ago) link
frozen mac n cheese is amazing
― cool app (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:30 PM (10 months ago) Bookmark
http://imgur.com/FQdMl.gif
― bnw, Tuesday, 12 January 2010 18:04 (fourteen years ago) link
I had the Chicken Enchiladas in the refrigerated (not frozen) section last night and they were fantastic.
― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 12 January 2010 18:48 (fourteen years ago) link
the trader joe's instant miso soup is great and v low cal but also v v v high in sodium.
― tehresa, Tuesday, 12 January 2010 20:14 (fourteen years ago) link
also: i highly recommend this pizza thing (i forget the name/brand), that is a super thin crust, caramelized onions, couple cheeses and prosciutto. it's amazing.I like these too, they're not called pizzas, um, tarts maybe? Some kind of French-ish name.I like the made-in-Italy pizzas, they have a few types, thought they seemed to have stopped carrying my favorite, the goat cheese and black olive one.― nickn, Monday, January 11, 2010 8:43 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark
― nickn, Monday, January 11, 2010 8:43 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark
Been munching on these a while now. I love the black truffle flatbread, great for 2-3 people depending on what you eat with it.
The prosciutto one is more of a true tart - cracker-thin crust, but the rest are more like thin pizzas. All very good.
― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 02:27 (fourteen years ago) link
DUD: Trader Joe's brand Comte cheese. Tastes like cheese-flavored candle wax.
― throwbookatface (skygreenleopard), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 02:39 (fourteen years ago) link
miso is naturally very high in sodium to begin with so...
― dyao, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 02:46 (fourteen years ago) link
their frozen mac n cheese is truly amazing
― DAN P3RRY MAD AT GRANDMA (just1n3), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 02:57 (fourteen years ago) link
i have two boxes of their mac in the freezer.
― The Détourn of the Depressed (get bent), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 03:56 (fourteen years ago) link
Have not had best luck with TJ's cheese - although the "Italian Truffle Cheese" is hard to stop eating.
― pithfork (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 03:59 (fourteen years ago) link
The Old Amsterdam Gouda is pretty good, but Their Stilton was sub-par (but half what a good one costs). It's not really a place for high-end cheeses.
― nickn, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 04:19 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, the cheese section is 2nd rate, i mostly go for the cheap booze and some stuff my kids like
― velko, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 04:23 (fourteen years ago) link
They don't have many, like "real" cheeses in the chese snobby sense - like the kind that stink a lot and taste better when you leave them out.
― pithfork (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 04:37 (fourteen years ago) link
I wouldn't say 2nd rate, just not top-end. I also like the Black Diamond Swiss (sliced), and most are acceptable (and priced accordingly).
x-post
― nickn, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 04:38 (fourteen years ago) link
I have only recently starting going to TJ's, here are my yays and nays:
nay:
Vietnamese sandwich-style wrap (it was just gross)
eh:
candy-cane jojos (they were good but a bit too minty)microwavable pad thai (sold in a little blue take-out container, tasty but it was all noodles and sauce, some veggies would have rounded it out nicely)
yay:
vegetable masala burger (indian spiced veggie burger, YUM)goddess dressing (i use it as sauce for a wrap i make with the masala burger)spice chai latte powdered (chai powders are so hit and miss, theirs is very very good)
I bought a wrap at a coffeehouse in san francisco that I loved, and I recognized the veggie burger and found the right dressing so I could make it myself. i make it at home with a tortilla, tomatoes, spinach and red onions, it's delicious.
― musically, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 06:36 (fourteen years ago) link
The frozen chana masala is pretty yum, as are the boxed daals and curries in the pouches.
The frozen mac and cheese is so holy shit yum.
― kate78, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 07:19 (fourteen years ago) link
Cornbread is way too sweet. I prefer mine more savory.
― Jeff, Monday, 25 January 2010 02:24 (fourteen years ago) link
It taste like a breakfast muffin.
vegetable masala burger (indian spiced veggie burger, YUM)
These are pretty crappy imo. Much cheaper than most veggie burgers but they really aren't the same thing. 1st ingredient is potatoes; v. little protein.
― smothered in country gravy (Whitey on the Moon), Monday, 25 January 2010 02:39 (fourteen years ago) link
if you want protein eat a real burger.
― musically, Monday, 25 January 2010 04:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Frozen avocado halves: sounded like a bad idea, was a bad idea.
― pithfork (Hurting 2), Monday, 25 January 2010 04:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Two things have been getting to me lately:
1) How everything has so much packaging (like why do I need to buy two zuchinnis on a little tray with plastic wrap -- can't you just sell me zuchinnis?)
2) How bad I feel from eating too much of their frozen stuff - probably because of fat and sodium. This is not actually healthy food.
― pithfork (Hurting 2), Monday, 25 January 2010 04:37 (fourteen years ago) link
1) otm2) but it's tasty!
― iatee, Monday, 25 January 2010 04:43 (fourteen years ago) link
spice chai latte powdered (chai powders are so hit and miss, theirs is very very good)
yeah I luv this stuff, it was out the last time I went :(
― iatee, Monday, 25 January 2010 04:44 (fourteen years ago) link
they have a frozen pesto tortellini that's quite nice. yeah i know frozen food is not great for you but i keep some things around for nights when i don't feel like cooking.
― The Détourn of the Depressed (get bent), Monday, 25 January 2010 06:03 (fourteen years ago) link
hey my trader joe's had a sign up that said they are going to start offering more individual fruits and vegetables in an effort to be more eco-friendly. the only problem w/ this is that they sell them individually, not by weight, which probably makes things more $. but maybe not. anyway, i think my store is about half and half now in terms of loose vs. prepackaged produce.
― bwoling and drifting (tehresa), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 06:32 (fourteen years ago) link
my TJs has gone in the other direction. kiwis in plastic trays! how am i supposed to tell how ripe they are?
― international slackness (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 06:38 (fourteen years ago) link
i bought a tray of bran muffins from tj's a few days ago and just noticed the mold growing on them. serves me right for not checking the expiration date?
― from peanut to president (get bent), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 07:23 (fourteen years ago) link
fucking obsessed with the "Soy Nuggets"
― you have to forgive me (surm), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 08:03 (fourteen years ago) link
considering how incredibly busy our local TJs is, i'm always surprised by how often we buy stuff from there that is moldy.
classic: the frozen lava cakes
― just1n3, Wednesday, 10 February 2010 15:51 (fourteen years ago) link
i bought some baaaad oranges the other day ;_;
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 16:49 (fourteen years ago) link
i got some bad tomatoes a few weeks ago :(
― bwoling and drifting (tehresa), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:14 (fourteen years ago) link
This is why, although I like many of the things the sell, I find myself going there so infrequently; because I'd have to go to another food mart anywa to get fruit/veggies and some other staples.
― hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:14 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah tj's produce has fucked me over on enough occasions that i only go there for about three things now
― call all destroyer, Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:17 (fourteen years ago) link
i'm guessing that it's a matter of location. when i lived in ny, the veggies were terrible, but in wa, they are pretty good. they are my go-to for zucchini, spinach, blackberries, apples, red peppers, artichokes (in summer). and their brussels sprouts are generally better looking and cheaper than safeway.
― bwoling and drifting (tehresa), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:20 (fourteen years ago) link
i dig their tomatoes tbh
― you have to forgive me (surm), Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:23 (fourteen years ago) link
I liked trader joe's a lot more before moving to ny.
I mean I still mostly only shop there, but the process has gone from 'annoying' to 'incredibly stressful'...maybe this will be better when they open the chelsea and uws shops
but yeah the overall variety of stuff + produce + shopping experience was way better in california
― iatee, Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:25 (fourteen years ago) link
They have a new type of mustard with mustard seeds. I like it. I also like their multi-grain or whole wheat pretzels and their peaberry coffee and their cheap coffee filters and their low sodium whole wheat bread and their low sodium tongol tuna, which must be a unique Trader Joe's species. I bought some Granny Smith apples there last weekend and they are pretty good and not too bruised. However, their bagged oranges were much worse than the ones they have at Shaw's.
― youn, Friday, 12 February 2010 00:08 (fourteen years ago) link
At the Trader Joe's in Irvine, I bought La Crema Pinot Noir, which was pretty good -- balanced, elegant -- but that is not a Trader Joe's brand.
― youn, Friday, 12 February 2010 00:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Search: beer bread box mix. It's delicious and super easy!
― she is writing about love (Jenny), Monday, 22 March 2010 15:07 (fourteen years ago) link
there used to be excellent tom yam cashews <a href="http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2009/07/trader-joes-chewy-crisp-tom-yum-cashews-like-a-drug.html">that were like this</a> but TJs discontinued them, for no good reason. anybody know where i can get more? those motherfuckers were incredible.
― the artist formerly known as (remy bean), Monday, 22 March 2010 15:15 (fourteen years ago) link