Manhattan is getting a Trader Joe's!

[Boteroesque Babe]

My hometown has a new one, and I just phoned to check their holiday hours and ask whether they offer gift cards. Got one of those rarities - a happy employee. So I mentioned Manhattan was hungry for a Trader Joe's, and he told me we're getting one in the next four months. In the Union Square area.

Thanks to this board, I'll have my shopping list ready, day one.

[MissToodles]

Do you know how big it will be? The one in Scarsdale is superette sized and I'm not sure if that's par for the course.

[Boteroesque Babe]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

Do you know how big it will be? The one in Scarsdale is superette sized and I'm not sure if that's par for the course.

D'oh! I should've asked. Would also like to know whether this'n'll carry Three Buck Chuck.

Y'know, Toodles, I'll bet it won't be big, 'cause their corporate model dictates they don't spend a lot on real estate. Hard to do Union Square without spending a lot on real estate.

Ah, well. Fingers crossed.

[MissToodles]

So they're always small? Despite the size, I end up spending too much there! They also have a great moisturizer, citrus scented which is 2.49 and softens my skin way better than most drug store brands.

[Boteroesque Babe]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

So they're always small?

I don't think they're always small (though I wouldn't know), it's just that they pride themselves on not spending a lot on leases. So the more exclusive the area, like Manhattan, the smaller the store is likely to be.

[Tina]

Ooooh, very cool.

And you'll find lots of happy employees there -- at least the ones I've seen in the two that I've gone to seem to be, and it's not the fake kind of happy ( abright "hello!" as soon as you walk in the door and then nose in the air after), either, which is nice.

[ThatFatGirl]

Our store in St. Louis is pretty small as far as grocery stores go, but they seem to have everything. One of their very friendly employees (and they all seem to be very friendly) told me I should always ask if there is more of something in the back if they appear to be out of it on the shelves as they restock the shelves constantly.

I just bought these frosted oatmeal and cranberry cookie "Dunkers" from TJs. They are soooo good. I'm sold on the Three Buck Chuck too. I like the Shiraz and Cabernet Savignon.

[jamie]

Gah... BB, y'all get everything.

P.S. if you are ever back in the area and have time drive down to Midway - I had the yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmiest (and honestly, it really deserved all those m's) Hot Brown tonight with sweet broccoli salad, iced tea and blackberry cobbler. Just, wow.

[Boteroesque Babe]

Originally Posted by jamie

Gah... BB, y'all get everything.

Actually, Manhattanites are fond of whining about the shopportunities we don't have. No Walmart, no Target, no warehouse stores. But we're torn between our desire for comfort and convenience, and our disdain for suburbanization. If you've visited Times Square or SoHo in recent years, you've seen much of the flavor has already been drained.

We want bargains accessible via mass transit, but we don't want them in our back yards. (Shuh. Like we have back yards.) Manhattan's second and third 7-11s are both in my neighborhood, and at least one of 'em got campaigned against, protesters saying it'll bring homelessness to the 'hood. The scourge of beef jerky and giant hot dogs! Stuff is junkie bait.

I make fun now, but I sure don't want the proliferation to create a set-up like I grew up with in the South, always being able to see the one 7-11 from the last. I like my retail choices unhomogenized.

I've already alerted the BF he'll be making some Slurpee runs this summer.

PS: You're killin' me with that meal, Jamie. On these cold and snowy days, I've been thinking how good a Hot Brown would be, bubbling from the broiler. Wonder if Mornay Sauce is hard to make....

[MissToodles]

Outer boroughs have everything, tee hee! Except for tj's but it's a quick car ride away.

[SoVerySoft]

Here's info on the upcoming NYC TJs:

Trader Joe's will open at 142 East 14th Street, with a separate wine shop next door at 138 East 14th Street. At 15,000 square feet, including the wine shop, the new Trader Joe's will be less than a third the size of the Whole Foods that opened last year at 4 Union Square South. Balducci's recently opened a 10,000-square-foot store at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street, Garden of Eden has a store at 14th Street and Fifth Avenue, and four days a week, the city's flagship Greenmarket is in Union Square.

[MissToodles]

I estimate the Scarsdale one less than 2,000 sq. feet and they don't sell booze. I wonder if the Manhattan location will be more expensive for consumers.

[altered states]

I went to one in a rich part of West Hollywood and it still seemed pretty reasonable. Compared to Whole Foods up the block, "reasonable" is relative though. I'm psyched but I fear it's gonna be packed all the time. One goodd thing about Whole Foods is that they have the checkout thing down to a science. The TJs I went to was pretty chaotic, even at off hours. The people were very nice though.

Originally Posted by MissToodles

I estimate the Scarsdale one less than 2,000 sq. feet and they don't sell booze. I wonder if the Manhattan location will be more expensive for consumers.

[Boteroesque Babe]

Article in the Times today, too.

Finally experienced my first Trader Joe's while home at Christmas. Fewer fresh prepared foods than I was expecting, but the frozen stuff was surprisingly tasty and intense. The packaged baked goods were all great looking -- very hard to choose. Everything was quite inexpensive. We couldn't believe our total.

Crowded, yes. And then there's the constant clanging of 3-Buck Chuck bottles. Constant. I predict one of the happy-shirted NYC staffmembers will snap and take a chainsaw to Charles Shaw, himself.

[MissToodles]

Do you like Greek Style Yogurt? I purchased the TJ housebrand the other day. Just as good as Fage but over a buck fifty cheaper.

[ThatFatGirl]

If you pack a lunch for work and you're tired of the $1 Budget Gourmet dinners that leave you hungry and wondering why you're such a cheapskate when it comes to work lunches (or am I the only one who does this?), try TJ's frozen Chicken Masala and brown rice! I had it today for lunch at work and had half the staff drooling for Indian food. It was 10 steps above Budget Gourmet in flavor, twice the portion and seemed worth every cent of it's $2.29 price.

I was also recently surprised with how tasty their chicken salad is. I'm a huge fan of the southwestern seasoned salmon, and their mild fresh salsa is my favorite.

Oooh almost forgot - I picked up a bag of tangerines there yesterday and so far, each one has been nearly orgasmic.

Hope you New Yorkers enjoy your TJ's experience just as much!

[Tina]

The masala is one of my fave frozen meals, TFG. Very good. I also love their french onion soup, their dim sum, and their varieties of gourmet pizzas.

If you like cream, get some of their maple cream line yogurt, with a thick layer of cream at the top.

For a grea snack, if you like hummus, is their naan bread and several different varieties of hummus.

For a quick nuked meal, their stuffed peppers are great, as is their chicken florentine, in the fridge section, not the frozen section. Really, there's too much to mention it all, but it is really my favorite place to go grocery shopping -- though I AM in cow town, and do not have anything even close to a Zabar's, or any of the gourmet shops you have near you, BB.

[wtchmel]

Woo, Hoo for you!! This is pretty much the only place I shop for food. I try to only buy non chemical laden crap(seeing as how we eat way to much fast food, and go out alot) Trader Joes is so good, I live on the two buck chuck wine!! everything is so much better, If I have to go to a regular grocery store, I totally struggle with shopping. The only thing I don't buy at Trader joes is Mayo. Have to have best foods. other then that, it's pretty much everything else, oh, and my total chemical laden fave food, that I don't get there is Kraft Mac and Cheese, which I double the powdered cheese when I make it, Yum!

[CurvyEm]

Wow I couldn't imagine buying anyone a gift card for a fast food place.

[Boteroesque Babe]

Originally Posted by CurvyEm

Wow I couldn't imagine buying anyone a gift card for a fast food place.

And I can't imagine living in a Guy Ritchie film. Maybe we should join one o' them cultural exchange programs.

(Trader Joe's is a gourmet market in the US, Curvy. Perhaps you're thinking of Trader Vic's?)

[SoVerySoft]

Originally Posted by wtchmel

oh, and my total chemical laden fave food, that I don't get there is Kraft Mac and Cheese, which I double the powdered cheese when I make it, Yum!

Actually, they have Annie's boxed mac and cheese and it's not that different tasting IMO

I like the instant packets for a quick-mac-fix. OK, I have to make 2 of them, but still - it's instant!

[Jes]

Originally Posted by MissToodles

Do you like Greek Style Yogurt? I purchased the TJ housebrand the other day. Just as good as Fage but over a buck fifty cheaper.

ohmahgah. don't remind me. i need it with the honey. but it's to die for. can't find it in my local TJs anymore. had it when they opened and then that was it.

i'd slap my mother for that stuff. the problem is that i'm cheap. i'm so, so, so very cheap. it's a wonder i'm fat, really b/c i'm too cheap to indulge myself in most ways. and when i see that stuff for $2 a serving, i can't really justify it. but so good.

As the dutch say: it's like an angel pees on your tongue!

[CurvyEm]

Originally Posted by Boteroesque Babe

And I can't imagine living in a Guy Ritchie film. Maybe we should join one o' them cultural exchange programs.

(Trader Joe's is a gourmet market in the US, Curvy. Perhaps you're thinking of Trader Vic's?)

Oh it wasn't meant as an insult. I don't know what Trader Joes is. I assumed it was a fast food place, I've no idea why. I've heard of gift cards for fast food places in america and it REALLY confused me, because I can't imagine it. It's just SO different to here. It baffles me.

Hahaha I'd comment on the Guy Ritchie thing, but I've never watched one of his films LOL

[FitChick]

Originally Posted by SoVerySoft

Here's info on the upcoming NYC TJs:

Trader Joe's will open at 142 East 14th Street, with a separate wine shop next door at 138 East 14th Street. At 15,000 square feet, including the wine shop, the new Trader Joe's will be less than a third the size of the Whole Foods that opened last year at 4 Union Square South. Balducci's recently opened a 10,000-square-foot store at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street, Garden of Eden has a store at 14th Street and Fifth Avenue, and four days a week, the city's flagship Greenmarket is in Union Square.

You are SO LUCKY!!! I LOVE TJ's, there is one about 20 mins from me, but sadly, when we move next summer, the nearest one with be 45 mins away by car! I'lll still go but its nice having one closer right now.


We have not shopped there as much in the past year, because we started keeping kosher and not too many of their things are certified kosher. But I do remember the whole wheat tofu cheese and spinach egg rollls which are to DIE for (I now make them myself at home)....I used to love the Asian chicken meals....I get kosher beef and chicken there now, OH! and we make strombolis and pizzas using their whole wheat pizza dough (only 79 cents for the dough!) Oh, and try their mozzarella marinated in olive oil/spices....its great cubed in a mozzarella and tomato salad!

And if you love REALLY sour stuff, their blueberry juice, pomegranate juice and cranbeery juices have no sugar!

[Tina]

You've never seen "Snatch" Em? Great film.

And if someone gave me a gift card to Mac D's... well, I'd receive it nicely, but likely throw it away. Blech.