What don’t I love from Trader Joes… that’s a better question. I’m going to admit it, I’m a fan of the Charles Shaw wine - $2 buck Chuck, as we refer to it as (even though it’s a bit more than $2, but not much more). I also love their cheese selection and I’m a fan of the hummus they make. I never leave without buying the peanut butter filled pretzels and pita chips.
Well, to be honest, it was inspired by the M&M pancakes smothered in peanut butter that I’ve eaten on days that involved way too much time with high school theatre geeks in cold weather. So it wasn’t so much an invention as an adaptation.
(And yeah, I’m a girl.)
Completely unrelated to the prior content of this post but related to the actual topic at hand: acsenray mentiond A Fig Walks Into A Bar. Those would be one of my favorite products, if my local grocery store hadn’t spoiled me with whole-grain fig newton-style cookies that were even denser and less overly-sweet than the TJ’s version. I say “were” because I can’t find them anymore. shakes fist
Trader Joe’s really needs to expand into bloody Florida. We’re finally getting our first IKEA stores later this year, so TJ’s should be next, dammit.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the gorganzola gnocci yet. I could live on that stuff.
I also enjoy the chili lime peanuts. The cashews will do if they are out of the peanuts.
I also enjoy their cheese enchiladas and chili cheese tamales. Yum.
In the past year or so, they’ve made a decent first move into the Southeast, opening stores in Newport News, VA, Cary, NC, and about five stores in the Atlanta area, with two Charlotte, NC stores on the way. With any luck, they’ll be in Tampa and Orlando in another year or two.
The “…walks into a bar” line of breakfast bars
Bay Blend Coffee in the big blue can, which might be the best thing TJ’s ever put out, seriously.
Chocolate peanut butter pretzels
The bison burgers in the frozen food section–not the pre-cooked ones, those are nasty
Pre-made pizza crusts in the refrigerator section
All the inexpensive delicious cheeses
The frozen basil, parsley, cilantro, and crushed garlic cubes
Wasabi peanuts
Their much cheaper version of Pirate’s Booty
You all inspired me. I was in a bad mood and had a killer headache yesterday, so I went for some Trader Joe’s therapy. Came home with:
Butterflied leg of lamb
Pizza dough
Cherry jam
Peanut toffee drizzled with dark chocolate*
Chocolate orange sticks
Chocolate mints
Triple ginger snaps
Garlic naan
Chicken potstickers
Edamame
Vegetable bird’s nests
Organic mac & cheese in a box
Marinara sauce
Luna bars for cheap
Various burritos
Lemonade
Limeade
Cherry cider
Rice cakes
Last night’s dinner was edamame and potstickers, with limeade. I can’t wait to try the ($4/lb!) lamb on the grill.
*For my sweetie, who was also having a bad day. It must have been good, because this morning it’s gone.
Oh! Those pretzel thins thingies, whatever they’re called. Best form of hard pretzel I’ve ever had.
I’ll have to say, I’m not impressed with Trader Joe’s cheese selection. They don’t have any of the prime imported artisanal cheeses you can get at Whole Foods or Dean and Deluca.
I joined the board because of this thread! I love TJ’s, although we don’t have one that close. However, there are TJ’s within 45 minutes driving distance, and I head out to stock up every so often.
Our favorites:
Chicken Chili Verde (frozen) - I serve it over rice’ it’s so yummy.
Kung Pao Chicken (shelf) packed in a Chinese take-out style box (for my husband’s lunches; he works from home)
TJ’s version of Oreos
Chili-Lime cooked chicken strips (refrigerated) - awesome in a Southwest salad
My daughter loves their sushi, so I get a few packs for her to take to work.
My husband loves their version of Cheerios, as well as their cherry almond clusters cereal and cranberry almond clusters cereal.
I love their coffee-filled chocolates.
Key Lime cheesecake (frozen).
My younger kids love their version of Pirate’s Booty (they can’t eat regular popcorn with their braces).
I find new stuff everytime I go, and the prices are so reasonable.
I know TJ’s would do great up here, but for some reason they don’t want to put a store in our area. 
Clay Oven Baked Lavash Bread. Absolutely perfect for wrapping just about anything.
Oh my gosh, I forgot the house brand truffles! Made in France, rolled in cocoa powder, and have that perfect truffle taste and texture that seems to get cooler rather than warming up even as you’re melting it in your mouth–for like three bucks a box!
We don’t get the gyoza here any more, :snivel: but I used to live on those things…
TJ’s carries Marcel & Henri pate which I love, and for a decent price. They no longer carry the pork liver pate with truffles, though, that was the best.
The organic Jo-Jo’s sandwich cookies–the grandkid loves these things. They made some limited edition ones with crushed candy canes in the filling last winter that were so incredibly good they sold out in about 9.636 nanoseconds–they promise they’ll up production considerably this year!
The fruit jelly candy–not the ones shaped like fruit, those are horrible, but the disc shaped ones that have the raspberry and grapefruit flavored ones–I eat way too many of those!
Sharp white cheddar for less than five bucks a pound.
Mango shaving gel that the SO swears is the best stuff he’s ever used, and this is a guy who really hates to shave.
Two buck Chuck.
Chocolate covered pistachios and sunflower seeds–where else do you find stuff like this?
Garlic chicken enchiladas–with some of that white cheddar melted on top!
The best vegetarian breakfast sausage ever, for cheap! Veggie corndogs, veggie Italian sausage, veggie champignon burgers, amazing stuff.
Gah, just thinking about it makes me hungry!
I just had their two chicken burritos from the cold section, with a decent salsa included. Yum.
Their Italian Style Turkey MeatLoaf in the fridge section is great for sandwiches.
Druid Circle cookies.
The cheese selection has really gone downhill in the last few years, but they do still carry Castello Blue and Dubliner Irish Cheddar - both of which taste incredible on a good cracker.
The Genova Pesto and the Sundried Tomato Pesto. Used in conjunction with their Focaccia/Pizza Dough and a little grated mozzarella either one makes for a lovely pizza.
Organic canned black beans. Excellent price compared to the health food stores around town.
Ruby Red Chai tea
Ruby Red Chai tea
Ruby Red Chai tea
… and dark chocolate covered caramel pieces.
habenero pistachios
half-salt peanuts
chicken chili
mango granola
chipotle fries
pitted kalamata olives
barbeque chicken pizza
pesto tomato pizza
single-serving frozen quiche
frozen guacamole
frozen chicken enchiladas
frozen chichangas
stuffed salmon fillets
apple-chicken sausage
Sumatra whole bean coffee
dark chocolate-topped shortbread cookies
…off the top of my head, that is.
The nearest TJs is more than 40 miles away, so I usually make a monthly run. NY law says there’s no beer or wine in the store though (I miss interesting beer and Two-Buck Chuck!) so I’m looking forward to moving back to the west coast!
I have a feeling I’ve posted this before, but anyway, here goes:
I don’t have a TJ’s in my neighborhood (or even close to my neighborhood), so I can’t buy frozen or refrigerated items unless we’re going to eat them in the hotel room during cocktail hour (Tuscan bean dip, anyone?). That said, every time I’m in Boston, I stock up on jars of roasted red pepper/eggplant spread, kitty cat cookies, dark chocolate dipped orange and raspberry sticks, rice crackers, and fruit leather which my daughter loves.
I signed an online petition to bring Trader Joe’s to Portland, Maine. As did hundreds of others–cross your fingers for me. If they open a store here, I will revel in the glory of frozen delights, refrigerated cheeses and meat-laden delicacies–even the occasional bottle of . . . what’s that wine called again?
Me and my wife have discovered the frozen penne arrabiatta and it is goooood.
I live half a block from a Trader Joe’s. I can feel your envy from here. 
(OTOH, I can also feel the extra padding on my ass I’ve gained since I moved half a block from a Trader Joe’s.)
Speaking of which:
I love their Green with Envy vegetable mix (spinach, asparagus, and edamame).
Frozen artichoke hearts
Organic hummus
Caramel yogurt (if yogurt can be to die for, this qualifies)
Cherry almond cereal
Cranberry macadamia nut granola
Sweet apple chicken sausage
Marinated mahi mahi steaks
Honey mango shaving lotion
Ciabatta bread (four small rolls for $1.69)
Non-potato chips of many varieties
Lemon curd
Boylan diet cream ale
My only complaint is that, unless you get there in the last hour before closing, they are always ridiculously crowded. Every Trader Joe’s I’ve been to (in MA, PA, DE, and MD) is like this.
Low fat wisecrackers roasted garlic with rosemary
Cilantro and chive yoghurt dip
Yoghurt and dill papadums
Knotted challah rolls
The Chinese style crackers with the hot mustard flavor
Good organic fruit. I had some perfect nectarines and really great plums last week.
What a coincidence! I was just about to head out to TJ’s! I love the fact that they’re the only store to carry my favorite bagged tea, Stash Moroccan Mint. I can’t find it anywhere else, for some reason, and must order it online if I can’t get to Trader Joe’s. I might as well post the shopping list I just made, which consists of what I always buy whenever I go to TJ’s (assuming they carry these items at the time):
Garlic hummus
Pita bread
mini-toasts
Yin-Yang peanuts (half soy, half wasabi-coated, not always there)
organic bananas, broccoli and spinach
heart-shaped lavash crackers
lingonberry scones
lady finger cookies
instant chai latte mix
brie
Snapea crisps
chocolate soy milk (I miss the strawberry and coffee flavors)
and, of course, Two Buck Chuck.