# Where have you been hiding, Trader Joe's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387 "2002-04-07T23:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/21 "2002-04-08T05:58:36Z")
Another huge TJ fan here. As a grad student I’m amazed how cheap their food is. I eat better now than before I started school! One of the reasons I chose my current apartment is its proximity to TJs. My current addiction is the pizzas from Italy. And those pound plus chocolate bars! My only complaint… they seem to have done away with the peppercorn tortellini – that was my favorite TJs pasta. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/22 "2002-04-08T08:09:52Z")
Rice Bowls with Vegetables - delicious frozen lunch/dinner for - what, $1.50? Excellent cat toys like catnip-stuffed burlap mice. Gyoza (potstickers) The most delicious and exotic bottled juices (yeah, I know fresh juice is better for you, but who cares?) - cherry, pear, blackberry, etc. Rice Dream cookie sandwich bars - chocolate mint, better than real ice cream Dang, I don’t know why I don’t go more often!! ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/23 "2002-04-08T10:05:05Z")
Nah, too difficult to get to by public transportation. I don’t care for all that fancy stuff anyway; Giant is good enough for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/24 "2002-04-08T13:02:13Z")
Just went to Trader Joe’s in Towson, MD, yesterday. This is my favorite food shopping place of all. Great stuff, and so much of it is kosher! Someone gave me a TJ’s gift certificate for a birthday present. Could not ask for anything better. Gotta have my Pirate Booty! ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/25 "2002-04-08T14:46:14Z")
Oooh, I love that Trader Joe’s in Towson. I buy those cinnamon alphabet cookies for my kids. And it’s fun! And the best part is…it’s smack-dab in between a Pier One and a Barnes & Noble! ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/26 "2002-04-08T14:57:40Z")
_Sniff_ Rub it in, why don’tcha??? Since leaving Northern CA in 1998, I haven’t set foot in a Trader Joe’s (_Sniff_–my very first Trader Joe’s experience was on my 27th birthday…). I used to buy little bunny-shaped pasta there. _retreats before the sobbing comes_ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/27 "2002-04-08T15:15:44Z")
I like their wine, they always have something thats $2.99 bottle & pretty decent too. You can bring it back if you don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/28 "2002-04-08T15:23:18Z")
Had TJ’s Biryani just last night. Chopped up a couple’a chicken breasts and sauteed them in the stir-fry pan in a little oil, tossed in a package of Biryani. Steamed some veggies. Dinner in 10 minutes! Yumm! They also have an incredible selection of hard-to-find beers from all over. Something else we always seem to have to get is a tub of dark chocolate covered orange jellies. 😃 I can stop in there on the way home for a tin of coffee and come out with 2 bags of stuff, and feel good about it. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/29 "2002-04-08T16:18:09Z")
Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite stores. I’ve been to the ones in Tyson’s Corner, off Columbia Pike, and the one in Alexandria. The one is Alexandria is the smallest, but for me it is the most convenient. The wine selection at the store on Columbia Pike is extremely good. I was able to find a Portuguese _Vinho Verde_ for the incredibly low price of $3.99. I use Trader Joe’s as my main grocery store and I supplement that with Harris Teeter for the things I cannot find at Trader Joe’s such as vegetables and meat. ---
**Author:** ![trishdish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d2c977/32.png) [@trishdish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trishdish)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/30 "2002-04-08T16:45:03Z")
Trader Joe’s is the dope. I loved the look on my IL’s very snotty, very name droppy best friends when they went into a long discourse on these wonderful little bean pods they had at a chi chi Japanese restaurant in NYC. I quipped “oh, edamame! We have some sitting in our freezer at home right now”. Stupid capitalist whores didn’t know what had hit them when I mentioned Trader Joe’s. And they would die knowing that a bag is like $3. Although my husband is getting a bit suspect that everything I make for him comes from the frozen food section at TJs. He might be right what with my love of the veggie dumplings, frozen veggie pizza and the bowls of pad thai. Last night, I actually cooked something and he asked me what TJ frozen entree this was. My current obsession is this trail mix with dried cranberries and peanut butter chips. Yummy! I call the TJs I shop the Secret TJs. It’s in Bethesda close to the Pier One and I don’t think a lot of people know it’s there. And they recently expanded by taking over the golf shop. I was delighted when I realized that the aisles went on even farther. ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/31 "2002-04-08T17:52:25Z")
Oh, and I forgot - the Towson TJ’s has **kosher chicken**! Cheaper than the kosher supermarket! And much cleaner, too! ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/32 "2002-04-08T17:54:11Z")
_sniff, sniff_ Here I am, stuck in Memphis, with NO TJ’s!!! Aieee! There’s one up in Chicago-land… I think that’s the closest one. Ahh, for the days of living in Woodside, CA., and hitting not only Trader Joe’s, but the Grocery Outlet… _sigh_ Almost would be worth moving back to California… * * * \<\< wheeeeeeeeeeeee! \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/33 "2002-04-08T18:18:26Z")
I can’t say enough good things about their tuna fish (the Tongol in the green can). Regular canned tuna now tastes like cat food to me. Well, it tastes like how I think cat food tastes cus I’ve never actually eaten it, but if I did eat cat food I think it would taste like "Chicken of the Sea"or “StarKist”. I have gotten a couple of things at TJs that were definite mistakes- their canned curry (made in Germany!) and their frozen pizza with whole wheat crust were both awful. But those two things don’t even sound very good, so I have only myself to blame. ---
**Author:** ![Baron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@Baron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/34 "2002-04-08T18:38:45Z")
I love the place. I was blessed with my wife working there for a couple of months, so we got a chance to try lots of good stuff. Be sure to check out the new store in Reston, VA as it is easily the biggest one in VA–(even has its own building!) Favorites: Chocolate covered pretzels Profiteroles (cream puffs) TO DIE FOR!!! Pirate’s Booty Gyoza Blintzes (don’t forget the frozen berries to go with them) Frozen Mexican food (tamales, enchiladas, burritos) the BEST tortilla chips, bar none, I’ve ever had Gazpaccho All of the stores in VA carry wine and beer. You won’t find Miller or Budweiser, but you will find Heineken, Dinckel Acker, and other imports. I have to say that I have had a few things that weren’t that great, but for the most part, I’ve been very happy with their food… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/35 "2002-04-08T21:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nightsong \* > Here I am, stuck in Memphis, with NO TJ’s!!! _Oh mama, can this really be the end to be stuck inside of Memphis with the no-TJ’s blues again_ – with apologies to Bob Dylan > [@](#): > > Aieee! There’s one up in Chicago-land… I think that’s the closest one. There’s two in Indianapolis, which is closer, but still not close. ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/36 "2002-04-08T21:18:02Z")
Hmmm. . .the locator says there’s a TJ’s in Abington. That’s close to my folks’ house. Think I’ll take the cooler and the station wagon next time I go home to visit the folks. 😃 Zap! ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/37 "2002-04-08T21:58:33Z")
TJ’s good! Their frozen food section is great for bachelors like me who hate to cook but still want to eat semi-healthy food. I had the turkey sausage stromboli last night. Yummy! ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/38 "2002-04-09T02:57:32Z")
TJ’s is the shiz’nit. Yow. If I like something, and I can buy it there, I will. Yummy snax, and even my pets like their stuff. 'nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/39 "2002-04-09T03:02:07Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh mama, can this really be the end > to be stuck inside of Memphis with the no-TJ’s blues again > – with apologies to Bob Dylan Oh geeze **RTFirefly** , you don’t really want to know what image that for whatever reason popped up in my head. Eeew. Indiana, mmm. Well, considering in what… Hmm. 8 hours I can get to Chicago-land? Something like that, and if I go there I’ll have a place to stay… And oo. One in Las Vegas. I know where I’m going on my trip that-a-way. * * * \<\< “Now in living color!” What was wrong with dead color? \>\> ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387/40 "2002-04-09T10:23:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nightsong \* > \*\* > Oh geeze **RTFirefly** , you don’t really want to know what image that for whatever reason popped up in my head. Eeew. I think I’ll go out on a limb and just trust you on this one. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-have-you-been-hiding-trader-joes/102387.md?page=3)