For years I've been hearing about Trader Joe's, but I haven't gotten to shop there on any of my trips to the states, no longer just to New York. My late Aunt Boche used to explain that she got kosher food for me from the special Trader Joe's kosher list. Maybe that's one of the secrets of its success...
Do you shop there? Why? Why not?
I went to Detroit for the day a few years ago and I was all excited about dropping in on TJ's - I'd heard so much.
ReplyDeleteBut the kosher selection that I could find (granted, I didn't have a list) wasn't that exciting; some breakfast cereals, other products, but nothing I couldn't buy in a grocery store.
My conclusion: overrated. :-(
They are known in the non-Jewish world for their good-quality budget wine selection, but that didn't help me at all.
i shop there. they do have a decent selection of kosher products (you just have to look for a reliable hechsher) and some interesting kosher items that i've not found in regular supermarkets, the prices are reasonable and it's organic (mostly).
ReplyDelete(fresh produce is more expensive there so i get that at my local fruit and veg shop).
The ones near me even have kosher prepackaged meat.
some of my favourite things from there are herb pasta, teryiaki-soy stir fry sauce, cereal bars, toasted almonds and kosher kalamata olives.
that being said it's taken me a few months of exploring around the store each time to find things and it's a more pleasant shopping experience than, say, the local kosher mart.
Jennifer, ~Sarah~ thanks for the input. During my last visit my sil took me to a chain of enormous supermarkets with fantastic kosher sections. All the baked good are kosher which must be forcing the small kosher places to lower prices. I was very impressed. I guess it's better than Trader Joe's. They give out jackets to wear in a giant refrigerated section.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about their list, but their chocolate chips are high quality, and I buy their canned marinara sauce, as bottles break more easily when bringing overseas, and also get more attention from homeland security!
ReplyDeleteI only bring coffee from the states when I can find a good deal.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'll finally see a Trader Joe's next visit.
When I visited the Trader Joe's near my daughter's house (in MA. just over the NH border) I found kosher brisket (fresh)at $5.99/pound. It was excellent. They always carry kosher chicken, and sometimes have steaks and ground meat. They also have challot (from Toronto) on Thursdays and Fridays. I LOVE Trader Joe's, and wish they'd open a branch in Israel.
ReplyDeleteIn Israel we now have a lot of good supermarkets. You can't expect the same prices.
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