Trader Joe’s

Seeing as my very livelihood depends on this grocery store, I’d better give them at least 4 stars.
The produce boasts variety and freshness if you make it to TJs before 7pm. Once it hits evening time, the lone bag of broccoli and the handful of bruised apples are a sad, sad scene. So to clarify, I give 4 stars BEFORE 7pm.
Some highlights: bananas in their prime, spongy (and not saggy) eggplant, large yellow and red onions, crisp bartlett and bosc pears, cage free eggs, yogurt, soy milk cream, free coffee samples, frozen artichoke hearts, individually packed seaweed snacks, fresh cut flowers, and potted cacti. I most recently discovered their baguettes. The olive bread baguette does not have the expected outer crispiness of the french baguette, but fear not, its chewy texture holds its own. With slivers of butter, the saltiness of the olives, aromaticity of the butter, and moistness of the bread make for a delicious combination.
The meat section includes chicken, turkey, and beef (no pork). I find that most Americans love chicken breasts and hardly miss other cuts of meat, so perhaps the selection is fine as is. Seafood is limited to salmon and tilapia. I personally find the meat and seafood section to be lackluster given the rest of the store, but the staples are there.
There are frozen packages of various cuisines, all TJ branded, from tamales to bibimbap to chicken tikka masala to pancakes. Other TJ products include

I mean who doesn’t love reasonably priced foods?! Love this place. Parking is tight but they are quick at the register so just stalk nearby and you’ll snag a spot in no time! For those of you who are first timers, if you want to look like a pro put the cart on the cashiers side not yours.
Happy trader joes exploring!
Must trys: sweet corn tamales (frozen)
Vegetable gyoza (frozen) with trader joes sweet chilli sauce!