Kathsgardn, were your tiny tomatoes called Sprinkles? I was buying those last year at NW Fresh but picked up two of the small containers at Trader Joe's earlier this month. My next stop was NW Fresh and I was glad I'd bought the tomatoes, NW Fresh didn't have them this season. I think I paid less at Trader Joe's too. I love them in soup. salads, just to snack on. DH rarely eats a raw tomato so they are perfect for me.

I didn't have anything else on my list that was new to me. Earlier this year, I bought a couple of the spatchcocked chickens marinated in lemon and rosemary - gave one to a friend. They were good, but I have the cutters to spatchcock a chicken and how hard is a lemon and herb marinade. Much better price if I'd bought the chickens and done it myself....

I buy a few of their frozen items that I really like for quick meals, esp. Mandarin Orange chicken ( I don't use the sauce, just crisp up the chicken in the oven and eat it when I get a craving for fried chicken), Chinese style chicken soup dumplings, chicken cilantro pot stickers and black bean tacquitos for my grandson. But I shopped yesterday and was looking for a pre-made salad and noticed in the fresh case a chicken breast dish - Chicken Marsala with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes. It is 2 servings and one was plenty with some fresh asparagus and part of the salad I bought. It was 2 min in the microwave, pretty tasty, tho like all their dishes, too high in sodium. I try not to eat their food more than once every couple of weeks, but will finish the Marsala tonight, so 2 days in a row is probably not great. The potatoes were a little watery, but I never fix them just for myself, so they were fine as they were.

I used to love that coffee too. My habit was to shop there after church on Sundays, and get 3 of those little sample cups - always delicious - except the one time it was pumpkin spiced 😄

My latest fave from TJ's is their aged Gouda - nibbling a piece right now 😋

I really enjoy the spice aisle, which is more or less a section. Their mayos are nearby, but ours has been out of the larger sizes of late, even if avaiable. Also like the nut aisle and SWMBO likes the dark chocolate covered pretzels. Coffee section is fun too, I like the earthier flavors deom Kenya, etc.. I do spend a fair amount of time in the entryway in the live plants section. Sometimes I can grab that spectacular kitchen herb that will last me all summer if I pt it on the deck and keep it picked ... I like the veggies area to look at and always shop the multitude of cheeses.

Morz8, yes they were Sprinkles.

Olychick, I like the little frozen Indian dishes too, although, some of them are too spicy for me. I've never seen one with mashed potatoes, though, at least I don't remember seeing one.

Carolb, I always buy their Monterey Jack cheese sticks. One of my favorite cheeses and I like them better than the mozzerella ones or mix of Jack and Colby that you normally see in stores.

Bragu, I like the nut isle too but didn't go there this time because I have too many at home already. I don't think I've ever bought spices there.

I did find some bar shampoo I'm going to try, a lot cheaper than the bars I've been buying on Amazon.

Kathsgarden, the Chicken Marsala isn't frozen, it's in the fresh food aisle where the salads are. The other things I mentioned are all in the frozen foods, though.

Olychick, I guess that's why I never saw it. I did look at salads but didn't see any entrees in the area. Will have to look next time. I did see some ready-to-make pot roast type meals though near the meat section.

I don't know if all of the stores display the same? There were some other fully cooked meat meals where I found the chicken. I know in the meat dept here there are ready to cook already seasoned meats, but this was with fully cooked ready to heat and eat meals. It was a decent meal.

My daughter worked at Trader Joe's when she was in college and she used to bring me things from there. I especially loved their truffles.

On my second trip there after the grand opening last week ,I got Trail Mix crackers and they're so good. I love their yogurt and hold the cone and of course chocolate p-nut butter cups. Their organic fruit and nut bread is also delicious. And I love the Meyer lemon cookies. It sounds as if all I bought was snacks. Pretty much. I'm just lucky it's less than 1/2 mile from my house.

I do think there are differences between stores, when it comes to certain perishable items. Stores I went to in So. CA sold a lot more varieties of fresh tortillas for instance, than here in FL, tho I don't know if that's changed over these last couple of pandemic years.

I loved their fresh organic wheat and rice tortillas and often wished I could get them here.

I've never tried the Grecian style eggplant. I do like their canned dolmas.

Loved their frozen spicy Thai basil eggplant! Unfortunately, it was discontinued.

i love TJ's!

my go-to's: stir fry veggie bowl -fresh. i add in a protein, stir fry it and waalaa - easy peasy dinner or lunch.

sliced portobello mushrooms

their cheese section is amazing, i always try to buy something different.

old-fashioned oats

salmon and rice entree (frozen - very good)

frozen branzino fillets

frozen seafood medley

their fresh flower and plants, love those

keto fudge brownies, they are sort of new, in a blue bag

brooklyn bangers - fresh meat section

rosemary/balsamic cooked chicken - fresh meat section - very good but they raised the price $3, ouch!

'simple'? chicken and turkey - fresh meat, precooked - great for a fast meal, lunch (sandwich) or dinner

blue corn tortilla chips with chia seeds

i am sure there is more but that's all i can think of right now :)

“I buy a few of their frozen items that I really like for quick meals, esp. Mandarin Orange chicken…”

I always have their MO Chicken in the freezer, along with their BBQ’d Teriyaki Chicken. Both good for quick meals.

I made a TJ’s run yesterday. Haven’t bought anything new but never leave without certain things, such as their Crunchy Slaw Salad and Pasadena Salad.

The one here is 25 miles away from me. Wish they would build one in Frankfort, at least it would be closer. They did put in an Aldi's in Frankfort a couple years ago but I don't really like it that much.

I always buy dog biscuits there too.

Kath, if you notice an empty store, you can alert Trader Joe’s. They might take you up on it, and open one closeby.

I also have my favorites, but I usually go every 6 months.

Oly, i do the same with their Mandarin chicken. The sauce tastes very artificial.

i like to keep their frozen Just Sauce turkey bologenese on hand and their goyza dumplings.

It’s a fun store. Sometimes I get their flyer in the mail and I learn about things that I never noticed.

There's a big difference in the prepared salad selection between my SoCal TJs and the one close to my parents in Texas. I guess it depends on the clientele and the distributors in the specific area.

Fun, I think you’re right about the differences. Not sure but the Pasadena Salad I mentioned could just be sold here in SoCal. It’s TJ’s knockoff of the popular “Dianne Salad“ served at Green Street restaurant here in Pasadena.

We’re fortunate to have so many TJ’s here. Some people have long drives. Their corporate office here (Monrovia) once told me they choose their store locations based on where they can have warehouses. They want only a certain distance between store and warehouse and that’s not always possible. That reasoning might be different now.

I looked up the ingredients in a Pasedena salad and they definitely sell that here but I'm not sure it has the same name, lol! I'll check next time. They have a couple of chicken salads with Asian style noodles - I can't recall the differences between them. Oh, maybe one has crispy Asian chow mein style noodles and one has soft rice noodles, maybe?

olychick, I’d be interested to know if it’s the same with a different name. The only thing missing from TJ’s Pasadena Salad is the amazing zucchini bread Green Street restaurant serves with their salad. Have you had the Crunchy Slaw salad? I really like it.

When my daughter and I went out to Monterey to see my son graduate from tech school a few years ago, we got lunch or dinner at Trader Joe's somehwere along the way. I can't remember now but I thought it was nice that they had utensils and napkins available at the front of the store. At least that's what I remember. They probably stopped that after covid but it was nice not to have to go find something to eat our food with at a convenience store.

Yes, Chloebud, those are my 2 favorite TJ's main dish salads. Sometimes I buy their meatless salads, too, just because I HATE making salads and when you're fixing just for one, to get the variety of ingredients I like, the leftover ingredients often spoil before I use them all up. So one of their salads lasts me a couple of meals and is still nice and fresh by the time I finish it.
Kathsgrdn, the first time I went to Tj's was at one in SoCal about 45 years ago and it had a restaurant (maybe just sandwiches?) attached. I was visiting friends in Santa Barbara and they thought it was worth a visit for a tourist, but I don't know that the Tj's was in SB or some other town? I know it wasn't Pasedena or too far from SB. It was many, many years before one opened up in our state and after having experienced the one in SoCal, I was so happy to have one somewhat nearby.

I'm making a list of things you guys like for my next trip there on Monday.

There is a TJ's in Hyannis - I live on the outer Cape, so it's about an hour round trip for me without summer traffic. I only stop in when I have a medical appointment at Cape Cod Hospital. The cheese section is my major draw. I've never bought meat there. I do love their cornbread mix, and in season their Gingerbread mix (I am not a baker). I discovered their Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup by accident - Pacific tastes the same and I can buy it in my local Stop and Shop (for a dollar more).

I discovered, when TJ's finally opened in Columbus, that there is a difference in product lines between the east and west stores - I had asked about a few favorites that I was still getting on trips to CA but that the store here never had. Mostly it was about their product suppliers, IIRC.

Their small frozen veggie lasagna was one item that I always liked to have on hand - I don't know if they still carry that. I loved their olive tapenade and bruschetta sauce, too. I could make a meal out of their spicy black bean dip on sourdough - but alas, they changed it and I don't like it as well now. I also was a big fan of their frozen pizzas. I used to buy some of their Indian inspired items too, but we now have an Indian grocery nearby, where I can get things like frozen samosas at excellent prices.

I dropped in to my Trader Joe's for their to die for super bread which they were out of but I got Florentine lasagna which my husband pointed out. I texted my daughter and told her and she said it didn't get good reviews. Have any of you tried it?

I tried something new to me from TJ's tonight: Trader Joe’s Japchae Korean Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Stir Fried Vegetables. Frozen food section. I loved this! The noodles are cellophane noodles, so are translucent and slippery - I suspect a love 'em or hate 'em food and imagine the haters would call them slimy, lol. They are very different from the pasta most of us are used to, unless you eat a lot of Asian food. I added a piece of Easter left-over fresh King salmon, but it would be great with shrimp or tofu. I also poured the hot noodles over a bed of fresh spinach, which wilted to perfection from the heat. It's gluten free on its own and vegan except for the possibility that the brown sugar used might not be vegan. Like most TJ prepared offerings, it's fairly high in sodium - but is not high calorie. nutritional info

Sorry, lily, I have not had the lasagna.

Sounds like something I'd like to try. Thanks, olychick. I love Asian food.

Lifly316, I haven't had that lasagna.

I'm writing this separately instead of just editing my post because I want to make sure I don't lead anyone astray. I thought I read the Korean noodle dish was vegan, but it might not be, but it is Gluten Free! I think the Vegan designation (which I noticed is not on the package - gluten free is on the package) might work if someone doesn't worry about the brown cane sugar in the dish that might not be vegan. I am never clear about that and only use brown sugar that says it's vegan when I cook for vegan friends, but I know some people aren't as strict or maybe know more about which brown sugar products are likely to be vegan.

DH's breakfast this morning prompted me to post this. I've been buying these Apple Blossoms for many years. For some reason they've always been more of a breakfast item for us. I prefer heating them in the oven vs the microwave. Two per package...individually wrapped.

@chloebud - those look delicious!

Chloebud, I bought a box of them this last trip too. Perfect size for me and I cooked/baked one in my air fryer.

What ingredients are in the Apple Blossom? Is that meat I see? I don't eat meat but I would be interested if that isn't meat.

They are like a mini apple pie....or apple dumpling. Safeway carries a very similar product with the same name and also one that features different berries called a 'bumble blossom'.

Right…no meat. Very small and almost like a mini apple crostata with the edges folded up. I have some in the freezer and took this pic. They’re about 3 1/4”. Try some! 👍🏻

So I'm loving TJs even more. I love their super bread and they had none yesterday. The helpful woman said a shipment would be there today. So on a whim, I googled and found they have a phone number which I called. I was beyond shocked a person answered the phone. A friend and I were talking last night about when was the last time an actual person answered the phone and I said a few years. Not only that, she checked and said there were two loaves and she would put one back for me. I only live 1/2 mile away but we weren't getting the car our unless we went down there. Impressed!

I agree about their service. More than once, when I've commented on check out how happy I was to find a favorite item not sold out, the clerk has told me to call ahead and have something set aside! And if the shelf is empty of something, if you ask a worker about it, they will always (if it's an item they are expecting to be restocked) go back and check to see if what you want is just back there waiting to be shelved - or they will check the computer to find out when it's expected. i am so glad they are successful; good products and service being rewarded.

@Olychick, you're so right about all that. They go well beyond the call of duty. My most recent encounter was with one of their half turkey breasts. My husband put it in our cart, and we didn't notice there was no price sticker on it. Of course the checker noticed and said, "No price - no charge." I've told this here before, but they sent my elderly stepdad home one day with his bag of groceries after he'd left his wallet at home. "No worries," they told him. Then they wouldn't let my mom pay for the items when she went back. Like you, I'm so pleased with their well-deserved success!

Wow that's good to know, since the TJ's here is 20 minutes away, and I never know if they'll be out of one of my staples. Thanks for sharing that 😃

I just returned from TJ’s and looked for the Pasadena salad @chloebud mentioned. In my store it’s called Pacific salad. Same ingredients as far as I can tell. Bought more Korean noodles; they were nearly sold out, so I think they’re going to be popular.

@Olychick, I checked online...same salad. Hope you like it!

Thanks, Chloebud, yes, I do buy it and enjoy it. That's why I was pretty sure it just had a different name here, as I didn't recall seeing Pasadena salad - but I don't always register the names of things, so I thought to check when I was shopping.