Nuts, cheese, olive oil, eggs, jicama wraps.

Very long list from me! Been shopping at TJ’s since the late 70’s when their only store was here in Pasadena. You really have to try things for yourself since opinions vary greatly. Some items I always have in my cart…

Marinated Artichokes

Olive Oil (I like the California Estate)

Red Wine Vinegar

Baby Potatoes

Crunchy Slaw Salad

Pasadena Salad

Frozen Apple Blossoms

Frozen Orange Chicken (good in a pinch!)

Frozen Shrimp

Frozen Joe’s Diner Mac and Cheese (not bad for store bought)

Frozen Spinach Artichoke Dip (good in a pinch!)

Beef Bulgogi

Mediterranean Hummus (in the deli section - I doctor it with a bit more lemon)

Canned beans, Corn and Mandarin Oranges

Nuts

Dried Fruits

Eggs

Greek Yogurt

Butter

Cheese (try the Cotswold Double Gloucester, Havarti Dill or Unexpected Cheddar)

Fresh flowers

There’s more I can’t think of. Just got some really good peaches there, too.

ETA - I’ve always kept these olives in the freezer but haven’t seen them lately.

Again, much is up to you, so you need to do some testing!

Mushroom and Company "mushroom salt".

new favorite is Japchae (Korean sweet potato noodles and veggies) and chicken soup dumplings, both in frozen food. Love the mini frozen baguettes and the demi-baguette (not frozen). My grandson is a fan of black bean taquitos, in frozen foods. I love the French butter and my favorite wine is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc called Sauvignon Republic. I also buy their sparkling white wine in little Tiffany blue cans. Great when you just want one glass and you want it sparkling. Avocados (I like the baby ones), cherry tomatoes when the local ones aren't available are pretty good. Frozen sweet corn kernels and frozen Hericots Verts when fresh aren't available. I also love their organic Persian cucumbers. I buy most veggies from the farmers market in season and the food coop has a better selection of organic fruit and veggies, but TJ's works in a pinch.

Almond flour, tiny avocados

I don't buy much on the way of prepared foods, but I have certain staples I prefer from TJs - organic peanut butter, organic mayo and organic corn dippers, along with organic pastas and American cheese slices.

Their Elote seasoning is great on popcorn, and the Chili/Lime seasoning is good on roasted chicken and sweet potatoes.

Agree with most of above. I don’t buy prepared foods but do choose their well priced pantry items, organic milk, pastured eggs, whole grain bread with the purple wrapper, 10 minute faro, ketchup, and today’s cheap/ pretty flowers.

agmss, if you have the time, it’s fun to wander around and grab some things that sound/look good to you. I love TJ’s but it can be hit or miss depending on your taste. These items recently caught DH’s eye and were a total MISS IMO.🥴

The creamy peanut butter, ingredients: peanuts, is what makes Annie's ”cuppa” peanut butter cookies pop like popovers in a mini-cheesecake pan. Not only are they cute and fillable, they're chewy and delicious.

We went there yesterday because we wanted to buy wine, but we buy way too many snacks, cookies, and candy there.

Here's what we bought:

• French Brie, including Délice de Bourgogne
• Italian Truffle Cheese
• Irish Cheddar
• Sesame sticks
• Chocolate Almond Biscotti
• Grifone Sangiovese wine
• Fior di Vino Chianti
• Puerta de Plata (red Spanish wine)
• Coconut Chocolate Covered Almonds
• Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar (one of these lasts me a couple of months)
• Toffee Chips
• Chocolate Hazelnut cookies

We often buy large basil plants, but I have two growing right now - it's one thing I can keep alive here, although I have to water them two or three times a day. We also often buy Parmesan and Romano cheeses, but we were not out of these. The regular grocery store that we go to here (Stater Brothers) does not have a good selection of imported cheese - in fact almost none, and so I have to go to other stores for Italian and French cheeses, such as Gelson's or Trader Joe's.

We went to a liquor store on our way to TJ's to pick up some Frangelico, which I have with my ice cream, and it was very expensive, but none of the other stores that I go to have it, except perhaps Gelson's, and it's expensive there as well.

Lars, I agree regarding Stater’s cheese selection. I buy most of our cheese at either TJ's or a specialty cheese shop we like.

Makes sense. Starer Bros. is supposed to be ”heartland” and local. Trader Joe's was conceived as a specialty shop with international and exotic foods at accessible prices for teachers and other well travelled people with limited budgets. You can still see the origins in the bones.

Frozen Joe’s Diner Mac and Cheese (not bad for store bought)

Frozen Spinach Artichoke Dip (good in a pinch!)

The Joe's Diner M&C is surprisingly very good! Love that they use 4 different cheeses.

During the pandemic I discovered the TikTok feta (TJ's Greek feta) and cherry tomato pasta bake. I've since tried it using TJ's spinach & artichoke dip as a feta sub. Works great!

The things we always grab when we stop at TJ:

Organic veggie pizza

English Muffins

Prepared salads

Mac and cheese

Orange chicken (the kids love it)

Lavender soap

Oh yes - almost forgot about toiletries - I buy their citrus body wash and all-in-one facial cleanser regularly and tea tree products occasionally. I also buy some of the vitamins, and their bar soap - oatmeal & honey is really nice and a steal too.

Pretty bummed they apparently discontinued their peppermint baking soda and fluoride toothpaste - that was a fave as well.

Another one to try to see what you think.

I slice and serve it with these…something else I always keep on hand.

I like so many things from TJs it is hard to name just one.

We like the zhoug sauce.

The cheeses, spices and their spaghetti.

I like packaged olives, and their various coffees.

We also like the seasonal cookies and the choc covered mini pretzel thins.

Keep in mind, the selection at TJ's changes regularly, and many products are regional. A friend was just griping that at several neighboring TJ's stores, which she visited while nearby, they didn't have a particular product, but always do at the store near her.

It's been years, but when I was entertaining cousins by the dozens, I'd pick up their coins of the world Chanukka gelt (chocolate). They only come in around Thanksgiving, and only in Jewish neighborhoods, and they put out what they get, and if you want any (let alone dozens) you have to be Johnny onthe spot. I've never cleaned them out--only did it when there were scores left, but it's so much better than any others! I tried to deduce the maker—Dutch, for sure—and found one which was at least close in taste, but the Coins of the World represent real coins, past and present, in gold with a few silver, and a super generous amount in each bag. I think it was year the token gift was cute thumb drives, I just slipped them in with the chocolates. If you see them, and like chocolate, grab a couple of bags.

I have no idea as I've never been in their store. We have 2 in the KC metro but neither one is in an area of town that I frequent.

Thanks all! I am going to try to get back to Portland before mid September. There is a show at the Portland Museum or Art that I want to see. I hope to go back to TJs then. And hopefully to a few ethnic grocery stores. I will check out the items you mentioned.

I looked at the zhoug and chimichurri - but we had a very full car and no cooler. And two tired humans. Sauces looked like leakage could have been a problem.

We each got wraps that were eh. We got limeade and grapefruit juice to drink that was really good. I got every chips which were good.

I made a salad dressing with the yuzu miso yesterday - that was delicious. I think it would be good on grilled veggies.

https://www.portlandmuseum.org/woven

I also buy their organic balsamic vinegar - I like it plain on salads.

Frozen artichoke hearts

I do have a TJ's about 60 miles away and like to go there if I'm already doing a Costco run or something in the area. I never buy the frozen food because I'm doing other errands and even in a cooler it thaws before I get home.

I do like their Triple Ginger Gingersnaps and always stock up on nuts and dried fruits when I am there. I get the dark PoundPlus chocolate bars for baking and some of the shelf stable whipping cream because I don't use much whipping cream and it's more easily stored. Their cheese department is amazing and Amanda likes their gluten free baked goods.

I like to just wander through and check out their "seasonal" selections, I never know what I might find.

Annie

I buy their mirepoix. Yes, I can chop my own but sometimes I don't want to. Spatchcocked chicken. I have the tool to do it here but sometimes its nice to have someone else take care of it

I often find their berries better priced than Costco's. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries. We shop Costco first when in the area of the closest Trader Joe's. If I've done it again, picked up berries at Costco, I'm often annoyed at myself.

Trader Joe's has a two pack of fennel bulbs at a good price. I can't really use more than two at a time as is often seen elsewhere. Along those same lines, a package of portobello for stuffing/roasting - for two not a crowd.

Nuts for salads and baking and dried fruits.

Frozen broccoli beef dinners - we both like it although I sometimes tame the spicy sauce with a little beef broth and don't use the entire envelope.

Frozen rice that cooks in three minutes in its bag in the microwave.

Saffron which has become just about unaffordable anywhere else.

Fresh flowers

Roasted tomatillo salsa.

Eggs

Full not low fat chocolate milk. Not available anyplace else any more.

A recent fav is their Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning from their spice selections. I find I'm using it often.

Something I really like but maybe isn't for everybody is To The Power of Seven Purple Organic Juice Blend: organic pomegranate, tart cherry, black mulberry, red grape, purple carrot, cranberry, and blueberry juices,

The scroll thru this thread made me realize that I am past due for a TJ trip.

Must have Garlic Naan! I am now craving garlic naan 😂 I am so easily influenced.

We buy a lot of TJ products. One item I will never buy again is TJ Key Lime Cookies. I love key lime pies and even have a key lime tree, but these cookies have a nasty bitter after taste. No one in the family will eat them.

Good to know, thanks for the heads up.

One I was disappointed in was the truffle potato chips - weirdly garlicky.

Agree with the key lime cookies. I tried their blueberry lemon hand pies after they were highly recommended. Nope.👎🏻 Same with their raspberry-filled butter shortbread. I do like their vanilla bean Joe-Joe’s but haven’t seen them in a while.

OTOH, if they still have them, Ode to the Classic Potato Chip are the best.

pillog, those are very good chips, but I think the absolute best chips are Kettle brand.

I love their almond croissants in the freezer section. It has been a while since I’ve had any, but IIRC, you have to plan ahead and thaw them the night before so they can rise.

The Fig & Olive or Raisin Rosemary crackers are wonderful. They were really good with TJ’s pecan and blue cheese dip/spread, which was discontinued. It is not hard to find recipes for pecan and blue cheese dip/spread, though.

I buy the Clam Chowder in the refrigerated soup section.

Fig Spread to serve with cheese.

English Butter Fudge - fortunately discontinued. It was at least 4000 calories per bite. I have a terrible sweet tooth. I could eat almost whole box on the drive home, I’m embarrassed to admit.

I have to plan ahead and take a cooler. It is an hour and a half drive for me.

Gotta include these that I buy often...buttery and good. I’ve also used them for crumb crusts for pies and cheesecakes.

ETA - They’re very thin and I usually find some broken in the box. Not a big deal for me.