Trader Joe's, movin' on up! So much for 2 buck chuck

Yikes, my local trader joe’s started hawking $170 bottle red wines!!

1 = 85 two buck chucks

Wow. Which one is your fucking local one ???

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Been noticing the upsell trend at TJs. $70 sparkling Rose was unthinkable a few years ago. Still - Bourdeuax wines for 85 TBJs?

actually, they have been upgrading their entire liquor section over the last year or so–expanded varietals and more upscale bottles. in addition, their TJ reserve and private reserve wines are very drinkable for the price.

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Weird. I’ve always thought TJ is crap. It may be better than Piggy Wiggly or Ralphs. But the stuff that average Americans eat is unfit for earthworms. TJ is unfit for human consumption. The FDA should shut down TJ and insist that we all eat unpasteurized French cheeses, but all they care about is special interest money.

I figure $150 Bordeaux at TJ is just a marketing gimmick to try to hoodwink people like me into thinking that TJ is classy. Everything in America is a marketing gimmick. TJ customers aren’t going to buy $150 Bordeaux. They aren’t going to buy $50 Bordeaux. But they’ll think they’re buying classy stuff at TJ because the Bordeaux is present in the store.

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it is much better than Ralphs or the average supermarket for some things and like those places, it’s hit or miss.

but TJs does have good basic stuff @ decent prices (eggs, dairy products, some cheeses, pasta, chocolate, nuts/nut butters, etc). It’s a good supplement to your local farmer’s market, butcher, coffee roaster, baker.

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Just my low life opinion, but if every aspect of TJs is way below one’s expectations, there ain’t much left to eat anywhere for the 99%.

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very true. I think most of us eat up and down the food scale both in quality and $

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I pretty much hang with the bottom feeders, quite fond of TJ’s frozen food section and regularly hit the freebie section for coffee and snacks.

Btw looks like the '09 Pavie Macquin is the best buy of the lot ~ $20-30 cheaper vs. the larger liquor retailers

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So are these fuckin $85 trader joe wines like say $20 to $25 cheaper than they would be at a fine wine shoppe ???

At least for the Pavie Macquin, $125-129 at Wally and K&L respectively. Less compelling for the others

I find that any of their non-private label stuff (regardless of the food/beverage category) that still has the producer’s label on it is always cheaper than most other retailers.

Specifically in the wine/liquor dept—most craft brews, bottles of wine and “booze” are cheaper than many other places that I shop for those exact “brand” items (due to my location----for alcohol/wine I tend to shop @ K&L, Topline, Domaine LA, Larchmont Wine, Silverlake wine, sometimes Colorado Wine and on the very rare occassions Bevmo)

Edit—sometimes Topline is cheaper than TJs.

For some reason, I keep thinking that fucking Domaine LA is much more expensive as well as K and L wines.

TJ’s is cheaper than both on the same items that they all carry. But there are many good deals @ K&L and some really yummy shit @ Domaine LA

And I’m presuming that Domaine has some really … What’s the fucking word for it …

Yes. Well curated shit that Tader Joses wouldn’t have right ???

I really wanna hit up one of those fucking Domaine LA wine tastings.

exactly.

I’ve been to several of their wine tastings. they’re very casual and fun. nice way to blow an hour or two on a sunday afternoon

YEP. Sometimes they also have food trucks there. I also like Silver Lake Wine. They have a lot and are open late. They usually a $5 pour of something decent, so much better than going to a trendy bar in the area.

–Dommy!

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also, some of their private label stuff is the EXACT SAME THING as the brand name stuff.

for example, they carry a little tray of frozen vegetarian enchiladas (bean and corn) under their own name, that, other than the packaging is the EXACT SAME THING as the Amy’s version --down to the chives sprinkled on top.

no question, picking and choosing is required, but they are so convenient that for many items they are an unbeatable source. . . .

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What interest is protected by unpasteurized cheese being illegal?

I am a cynical fuck, but I think you’re off on this one. Rich people still like shopping at TJ.

Most rich people don’t eat at Redbird every night for some reason. I don’t understand it myself, but I have witnessed it quite often.

shrugs

You are quite fortunate if you are part of such an elite social circle that you don’t even think of shopping at grocery stores.

I wish I were so far removed from the world…sigh

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