Gourmet Yet Healthy At Trader Joe's
Written: Feb 11 '00 (Updated Feb 13 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wide Variety Of Goodies, Nice Wine Specials
Cons: Lacks Fresh Produce, I Know Next To Nothing About Wine
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| kcfoxy's Full Review: Brand Name Food Products |
Calling themselves a unique grocery store Trader Joe's offers a great selection of hard-to-find delicacies as well as staple items. It
is a store I seek out, after buying fruit and veggies in my local supermarket.
THE PROS ARE MANY
Huge variety of dried pastas, made with soy, artichoke, spinach, tomato, carrot and yes, even good old whole wheat. There are fanciful shapes, and unique assortments to dazzle the eye.
Tomato sauces, extra virgin oil oil, soy butter, (like peanut butter, but now considered to be heart smart), teriyaki tofu, low sodium and low fat cheese, halvah, a variety of freshly made salads, and hormone-free chicken and beef.
Large selection of frozen goods including Double Rainbow Ice Creams, 100% all natural juice bars, key lime pie, chicken breasts, calimari steaks, stuffed salmon fillets, potstickers, vegan curries and breaded soy nuggets, albacore steaks caught on long lines, (rather than nets).
Here are a couple product names to send your taste buds into arrest, (yeah, that's drool on your chin, friend!): Mushroom Tortelloni with White Wine Mushroom Sauce, Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque, Duck Ravioli with Mushroom, Red Peppers, Shallots and Peppercorn Medley, Honey Roasted Salmon Crumble, Blueberry Pear Sauce, Exotic Fruit Torte, well you get the idea.
Besides those special gourmet items to treat yourself, or lucky dining companions, there are plenty of packaged items which make nice gifts. If your pleasure is wine, you'll be sure to check out the rock bottom prices on Haywood Vintner's Select Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as beers from around the world, non-alcoholic beers, Napoleon Brandy, Micro Brewed Root Beer and a host of fruit juices, yogurt drinks and healthful sodas.
There are some great buys on coffee beans and ground roast, as well as a large selection of teas. As a nurse, I appreciate the nice selection of vitamins and minerals, and the free handouts, which steer you toward low fat, fat free, low sodium, sugar free and low calorie selections throughout the store. The Fearless Flyer comes out several times a year, with page after page of tempting specials. Whenever Trader Joe's gets a price break, (say the market goes down in price on shrimp), you get added savings.
THE CONS
Well, they don't have these stores all across the United States yet.
There is a very small fresh meat selection, and prices on some items will be higher than in your mega monster supermarkets. While there are a lot of items, including fresh bakery breads, scones and muffins, fruits and vegetables are scarce.
The food is so wonderful, you can spend a lot of time just ogling jars of lemon curd, thai peanut sauce and fifty varieties of cheese. The imported candy section is hypnotic. Why just the other day little raspberry filled bittersweet chocolate hearts played their siren song for me.
IN CONCLUSION
The staff are helpful and friendly. They know every item in the store, and will get more from the back...if there is more. The stores tend to be busy right after the Flyer comes out, and then crowds dwindle in the weeks that follow. If I show up right after the mailers, I feel like a infrequent parishioner at Easter Service. Luckily they forgive me, and I'm soon happily filling my cart with Jamaican Jerk Sauce and White Pesto Sauce.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kcfoxy
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Member: Casey Stewart
Location: West Coast Of Mars
Reviews written: 935
Trusted by: 644 members
About Me:
Save the Earth...it's the only planet with Chocolate!
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