[TheVillageChicken]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

Have never been impressed with Trader Joes. Most people I know who go there like the cheap wine and drive there to buy it by the case.

Two Buck Chuck...a great table wine for a game of pinochle...a bottle per player....glasses optional.

[missypie]

Absolutely Love Trader Joes. I guess I fell in love with them when we lived In California. When I go to Winter Park I go to TJ's, Ito's a cult following I guess. The merchandise is just different. It just depends on where you are from and your shopping desires.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by theorem painter

I do half my weekly shopping at Trader Joes and the other half at Wegmans. I will miss both when we move permanently in October. BTW our Trader Joes does not sell wine. Trader Joes has great prices on cheeses and unusual choices. Cookie Butter is their #1 seller. Think peanut butter with crushed up ginger snaps. Frozen foods are great especially the Mandarin Chicken. Every store is different. I have been in the one in Gainesville and could not find the products I was use to buying because a large portion of the store is wine. Tonight for dinner we are trying a new product: Chicken Pot Pie Raviolis.

Never been to a Trader Joe's, but will ABSOLUTELY miss Wegman's when we move in October as well.

[beachx4me]

Originally Posted by missypie

Absolutely Love Trader Joes. I guess I fell in love with them when we lived In California. When I go to Winter Park I go to TJ's, Ito's a cult following I guess. The merchandise is just different. It just depends on where you are from and your shopping desires.

Had one close to us back in VA, I think you summed this up pretty well. It is smaller and different from your regular grocery stores, but they do have some great veggies, fruits, and especially frozen foods I have not seen in any other store.

[Justus]

Originally Posted by missypie

Absolutely Love Trader Joes. I guess I fell in love with them when we lived In California. When I go to Winter Park I go to TJ's, Ito's a cult following I guess. The merchandise is just different. It just depends on where you are from and your shopping desires.

Missy, You hit the nail on the head! The merchandise is just "different". TJ's array of gourmet items is unusual and unforgettable. And the Holiday season is magical at TJ's, with all the Italian and German foods they import that help keep Holiday traditions alive. And as for Three Buck Chuck, we can laugh, but many of Chuck's cabernets have won gold medals in international wine competitions.

TJ's is not about driving out the competition...you would probably not abandon your regular grocery store to shop there exclusively. It's about expanding your access to specialty items that are generally unavailable anywhere else.

[manaboutown]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Homepage: Welcome | Trader Joe's

In here they say they plan to open in Davie, Florida...which I had never heard of. It is a town of 91K in Broward County. Wonder why THEM and not US?

Hope they don't think we are a bunch of old folks who wouldn't enjoy what they had to offer.

I know people who have a condo in Davie. It is near the intersection of I-95 and I-595, west of Ft. Lauderdale. Davie lies just inland of a very large coastal population.

[billlaur]

thumps down for t d..

[kstew43]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Homepage: Welcome | Trader Joe's

In here they say they plan to open in Davie, Florida...which I had never heard of. It is a town of 91K in Broward County. Wonder why THEM and not US?

Hope they don't think we are a bunch of old folks who wouldn't enjoy what they had to offer.

Davie is a vibrant city Horse country, surrounded by Ft Lauderdale, Weston. Plantations, Pembroke Pines and Many more. Lots of money and people.

Davie is laid out to be more country, horse stables, country stores and the such.

They just opened a Trader Joes about 5 miles down the road in Pines...much more money.....
Seems to be doing well.....althought I don't shop there....Don't see the great desire.... I'll take Publix and Sams.

[JerseyGirl.Blue]

Originally Posted by theorem painter

I do half my weekly shopping at Trader Joes and the other half at Wegmans. I will miss both when we move permanently in October. BTW our Trader Joes does not sell wine. Trader Joes has great prices on cheeses and unusual choices. Cookie Butter is their #1 seller. Think peanut butter with crushed up ginger snaps. Frozen foods are great especially the Mandarin Chicken. Every store is different. I have been in the one in Gainesville and could not find the products I was use to buying because a large portion of the store is wine. Tonight for dinner we are trying a new product: Chicken Pot Pie Raviolis.

I must say I agree with Sally, although I have only been in the Trader Joe's in NJ and then just last week in Orlando. My niece and I were loving just about everything... especially the "Cookie butter"! Yummy.. "Are there any Wegmans somewhere in FL and near TV?" Now that store is just amazing!

[simpkinp]

For those who don't read Consumer Reports magazine I can tell you that frequently Trader Joe's items in a given category are given top ratings for quality and are rated Best Buy. Haven't been to one in years. I would definitely love to get some of their specialty items. I also like Aldi's, especially when they bring in the Nuremberg Brats and other German specialties. His brother has Litles or something like that. Saw one outside of Dublin, Ireland

[golfing eagles]

Unfortunetly no Wegman's anywhere near TV. They are just now expanding into Virginia---info from their website

[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by JerseyGirl.Blue

...."Are there any Wegmans somewhere in FL and near TV?" Now that store is just amazing!

Wegman's is consistently ranked #1 in the country, and It should be!! Unfortunately, the closest to The Villages is in Virginia.

I have only been in the Trader Joe's in Tallahassee and was surprised to find it to be not much more than a packaged goods store.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by NYGUY

Wegman's is consistently ranked #1 in the country, and It should be!! Unfortunately, the closest to The Villages is in Virginia.

I have only been in the Trader Joe's in Tallahassee and was surprised to find it to be not much more than a packaged goods store.

And that is what it is. Those who like it, like it for the quality of the package goods and frozen items it has. They also have a decent cheese selection, the likes of which you won't find in Publix or WD. And good fresh cookies. I like their coffee.

If I want decent non-packaged goods, like prepared foods, I would go to The Fresh Market.

I don't even understand why this thread was started. Was it just to bash TJ's? If you don't like it, don't lobby to have one. Otherwise, why stir the pot? It's not like TJ's is Tire Choice or something...

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Homepage: Welcome | Trader Joe's

In here they say they plan to open in Davie, Florida...which I had never heard of. It is a town of 91K in Broward County. Wonder why THEM and not US?

Hope they don't think we are a bunch of old folks who wouldn't enjoy what they had to offer.

Davie FL is next to Ft. Lauderdale. A couple of blocks going west from my son's house and your in Davie from Ft. Lauderdale.

TJ's is a store to buy some items but I would never shop there for all the items I would need from a grocery store, but that's me. I think TV is big enough to warrant a TJ's, here. IMHO

I would like to see one in TV, just like we had wanted a Home Goods and that will be a reality, this fall. Life's good!!!!

[TJ_Woody]

As a native Californian who lived most of my life in Southern California I'm very familiar with TJ's. The thing about them is that they carry a lot of unique items and their quality on most things seems to be just a cut above. For those who don't know it, TJ's and Aldi's are ownned by the same company. From the wikipedia article on TJ's:

Trader Joe's was founded by Joe Coulombe and has been owned since 1979 by a German family trust established by Aldi Nord's owner Theo Albrecht. The chain has offices in Monrovia, California, and Boston, Massachusetts.