I go infrequently to Trader Joe's and am usually underwhelmed by it. There's one about 45 minutes from me. I don't buy frozen entrees, frozen meat or frozen fish. I was there last Friday shopping for a party and the cheese case was the most enticing. Boursin cheese was half the price my grocery store charges for it, and I bought some very good Stilton and some nice Bavarian Cambozola. I also bought some delicious roasted, peeled Spanish almonds with rosemary but I won't be buying them often - very expensive!!

I'll be interested to see again what others consider TJ essentials.

seagrass

I've had at least 5 of those. no. 1 IS outstanding. We used to order a similar dish at a local takeout: not anymore. The TJ's version is better. Even my kids buy it and make it.

To be honest, everything I've ever tried there is good. And I'm picky. I don�t even touch prepared foods at the grocery store: they all taste full of fillers and extenders to me. I've never had a bad food there.

The cheese is good, as mentioned: I always buy a case of C Shaw wine when I'm there. Jams are very good: love the marmalade and raspberry preserves. Tuscan Pane bread is very, very good. All the chocolate is good. Does not taste like wax, like most American brands do to me. I buy all breakfast cereals there too: their own label.

I have the email in my in box and just hadn't opened it yet..

I'm thinking I'm going to TJ's on Friday..yep Christmas Eve Day...LOL I have to travel an hour plus 20 to get there..but I'll be about half way there already with my Costco run.

Thanks for sharing the list with us Tracey. Our Trader Joes is set to open soon in 2011, and I can hardly wait! It's less than a mile from my house, and will actually be my closest grocery store. I'm really looking forward to trying some things out of their frozen food section since I've never been close enough to do that before. I can vouch for the Triple Gingersnap Cookies, the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels (my favorite), Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and I always buy a jar or two of Lemon Curd when I'm there. (Yes, I usually make it, but why not?)

One just opened about an hour and a half from me. I'm in the middle of a kitchen redo, so when it's time to restock my staples I'm gonna make a trek and try out some of this stuff.

I've been shopping there forever. If it weren't for TJ's, my family and I would have starved to death. :)

My shopping list has two columns: TJ and "other". What I don't buy at TJ's would be a much shorter list. I'm there every week.

This long thread on TJ favorites gives tried and true insight on a lot of those products and others also, it's worth the read if you're a TJ fan.

Here is a link that might be useful: chow opinion on TJ products

Well, this is timely. We've been away at our daughter's house and the accumulated mail just came, bringing with it a $100 gift certificate to Trader Joe's! Whee!

I am becoming a huge TJ fan even though it is a good 50 miles from my house.
I printed out that list for me to take but forgot it last time I went.
Some favorites already: the mahi mahi ( had it for dinner tonight), fresh pizza dough (.79 cents! and it's excellent),
gnocchi, spinach fontina chicken sausage, rosemary asiago, Swiss almond cookies, little mulitgrain thin brown rice crackers, chicken and cheese tamales, 2 buck chuck, greek yogert and unsliced multigrain seeded bread.

My favorite item didn't show up on the list. It is a frozen dish called 'Saucy Scallops with Mushrooms'. We always keep a package in the freezer. It cooks in the oven in an open dish for 40 minutes and all I have to do is make rice and a vegetable or salad. It's so easy and it's delicious.

I also like Trader Joe's jams and jellies and nuts.

I'm 4 hours from the nearest TJ's so I don't buy frozen items and can't vouch for them at all. I do really like the triple ginger cookies and Elery likes the Charles Shaw wines. I also like the pumpkin butter and my very favorite, Dubliner cheese. And I'm not even a very big cheese fan, but I love that stuff.

And I just found the same brand at Sam's Club, but you have to buy a 2 pound block there...

Annie

Our favorite is TJ's Cornbread Mix. It is moist and gently sweet, and it has kernels of corn in it. I like to bake just as much as most of you, but there are times when pulling out a box is very convenient, and this is oh, so good.

:-( No Trader Joe's even close to me! I do have great friends on this forum that seem to know my favorites!

Like... the chili pitaschios, Orange Blossom Honey hand soap(thank you Jessica), Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce (thank you Gina) and TRUFFLES!!!!!!! I like anything from Trader Joes...I wish they were closer to me.

This is not an "I want you to send me" post. But I wish I could just drop in at a moments notice and get the lovely things that I like!

I don't post here often, and I shop even less often at TJ's. But I was there today.

My older daughter got the humus, we picked out the olive bread together, and I got a Ritter Sport dark chocolate with hazelnuts, yummy.

But I was disappointed in their organic soups. only 17 % organic.

There isn't one anywhere near where I live, but I like looking and usually shopping at TJ's when I visit my younger daughter.

Should take that list and try some stuff.

:)

Moni

Especially recorded for TJ lovers, listen up. With credit to Antonio Carlos Jobim and The Waters of March

Here is a link that might be useful: TJ's anthem

I tried the Chicken Tikka Masala on my last trip and have to say it was pretty darned tasty! I will be stocking up on that next trip.

The pumpkin ice cream is really, really good but we bought the decadent chocolate ice cream....*swoon*. I enjoy a lot of their seasonal products and wish some of them would be regulars (that's right....put those truffles out all year round!!).

My list of likes at TJ is pretty long (and some of it is on that Chowhound link). I only buy their frozen veggies any more (mostly haricort verts, roasted sweet corn, brocolli) and various frozen stuff (mushroom turnovers!!).

There are definately some misses as well but I won't go into that here. Tastes are very personal.