I got an email about this a month or so ago. Yay! It's still 2 hours from me, but closer than the one I visit in OH when I'm in town to see family. Can't wait!

Hooray for you! We're getting one in Virginia Beach, where I live, in the spring, and I can't wait. We've had one a few cities over (about a 45-minute drive) for a couple years now, but I'm really psyched we're going to have one right here very soon.

I have to say, sorry, but I am not a fan of Trader Joe's. I just don't get the appeal. Every thing I have bought there has been so-so, or else I can get it elsewhere cheaper. Maybe someone here can tell me what they like about it? Cause I have tried their prepared foods, their frozen foods, their grocery, everything. I just haven't been thrilled about anything there. Some of the things they sell I actually feel I have been ripped off - for example, their apple pie, which looks huge, but when you cut into it, there's just a thin layer of runny apples, and a big layer of air beneath the puffed-up crust. My local grocery store has tastier deli items and prepared foods like roast chicken for less money. I feel like I am the only one saying "the emperor has no clothes". I am not trying to be mean - I am open to people on this forum telling me what they buy there that they like so much, so that I can check it out.

I have to agree with Shannonplus2, although I do shop at Trader Joe's! (Actually, after eating one of their frozen chicken pot pies a few years ago, I didn't feel so good afterward-although not really sick). Having said that, here is what we DO like at TJ's: shredded & shaved parmesan, cinnamon almonds, any of their nuts are good and reasonably priced, handmade flour tortillas, baby peas, pretty good wine selection although I'm not a fan of 2-buck Chuck, sparkling apple cider, english muffins (their bread is just ok). We've been trying various coffees for the past couple of months because it is reasonable (about $7 or $8 for a pound or 14 oz but haven't found THE one yet, although the Guatemelan light roast might be it.

I should also add that last year I did some of my shopping for Thanksgiving at TJ's (the stuffing mix, the gravy, the onion bits for on top of the greenbean casserole) and it was all so awful I would never do that again.

I can't quite figure out what it is about their prepared food that is so unappealing. It certainly isn't first rate in my mind either.

I've been waiting for this! Yes, it's 2 hours away but that's closer than the stores in St. Louis, OH and GA!

I'm interested to see how they will handle wine with TN distribution (there are, I think, 5 wine distributors in the state).

My favorite things are Plugra for 3.99/lb, frozen veggies, frozen fish, baking supplies (spices, flour, chocolates and nuts, jarred Indian cooking sauces and......chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels.

I love Trader Joe's, their Pound Plus chocolate is cheaper than anywhere and I use it for baking. I liked their eggplant and roasted pepper dip/spread, but they stopped having it in Ann Arbor and now I just buy Akvar at the Mediterranean Market more cheaply.

It's one of the few places I can find grade B maple syrup, even here in Michigan everyone sells the light grade A stuff. Oh, and I vote for those chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels too, as well as the chili lime pistachios.

I seldom-to-never buy prepared deli items or convenience type boxed mixes, so I can't comment on those. Elery always picks up a couple of bottles of wine while we are there and his daughter who is gluten-intolerant likes many of their gluten free breads.

So, is it good for everything? Of course not. Is it good at many things? Certainly. I spend $20 or $30 when I go there, on specific items.

Another reason I like them is that they are very supportive of the community and generous in their donations. For instance, when Peppi's mother was in Hospice, there was a big bunch of cut flowers there all the time. She asked where they were from and was told that Trader Joe's always supplies flowers but they just don't advertise that, they do it without expecting any advertising or public statement. I like that, a company who does good simply for the sake of doing good.

Annie

This is so NOT FAIR!

As I have mentioned numerous times here, I started shopping at TJ's years ago when I worked in Los Angeles. I would stop on the way to LAX. I would carry on a bag of groceries every month to bring home to Florida. Over the years I still bring groceries home from trips but have to be selective as you can't carry on what you once could.

As Annie said, one of my staples was/is the pepper and eggplant dip. But Jessy put us on to the Akvar at Mediterranean markets. I recently found Akvar at Big Lots for cheap.

I like their mango sauce (like apple sauce only with mangos).

I had occasionally shopped TJs in Maryland but not since moving to Jersey. Just found one over the weekend.

Agree that not everything is great, but I enjoy seeking out favorite items.

In fact, I just discovered a new one I haven't seen anywhere else: three-layer hummus - one layer is flavored with guacamole!!

Yum!

I get their clear plastic bags of roasted unsalted nuts. the green boxes unflavored soy milk foams wonderfully. The frozen desserts are often great and often not but worth a try, great spicy hummus,Martelli extra virgin olive oil.good english muffins (not the lite)fantastic dark chocolate bars(pack of three near the register)make it worth the trip.three buck Chuck merlot,pretty good cheeses at a decent price. There isn't any store that has everything that you want at great prices and quality but TJ's is useful for us.

I was really hoping to supplement my current grocery shopping there. It's not a problem to get a good cut of beef, live lobsters, decent enough cheese, etc., but try to get apricots, broccoli rabe, persimmons, or dark chocolate covered edamame, and you're out of luck here! Fergetit. Well, until now. Since Nashville is small, relatively, and Atlanta is the closest "big" city to us, we have no access to things some of you take for granted, e.g. something as simple as vanilla beans, can't buy them any place mainstream and I haven't found the out of the ordinary place to buy them.

Gosh you get out cheap Annie..I go maybe 1-2x in 2-3 months..and I spend no less than $100..
I always buy produce, cheeses, cereal, chocolate, chips and crackers, nuts, maple syrup, rice pasta, EVOO, sesame oil, bacon, ketchup, frozen pineapple. LOVE me some TJ's! And for me..maybe it's a regional price thing..but their prices are often much cheaper than the stores I shop at for Natural, wholesome foods.

I really like Trader Joe's because they offer a wide variety of either salt-free or very low sodium products. It's very difficult finding low sodium products in regular grocery stores, so the things I find at Trader Joe's are a great boon. They've got broths, soups, breads, deli turkey, salsa, marinara sauce, canned tuna, canned tomatoes, and more. Believe me, when you're on a low sodium diet, you need all the help you can get. Does all the stuff taste great? No! But then, with salt missing that's to be expected.

Rob, I'm in Nashville and have been buying vanilla beans (not in any great quantity, mind you) for years at regular grocery stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter and Publix. In addition, World Market and Costco both have vanilla beans, and I'm pretty sure K&S has them as well.