You're either a fan or you're not. I'm a fan, and always have been.
I stumbled upon Trader Joes years ago with my sister in Atlanta. She told me about this great place that had good bottles of wine for under $6 and they were known for a $2 bottle called 2 buck chuck! Skeptical, I agreed to try, so we picked up a couple of reds, whites and of course I had to try one of the 2 buck chuck. Well I was hooked. A few years later, my husband and I were in DC walking back to the hotel, we passed a Trader Joes and he asked what is that, so my immediate response was OMG...we have to go in...this store is amazing. We got some wine and had the kids pick out snacks. It was then, that the rest of my family was hooked!
The Boca location is my go to grocery store. Located on Federal Hwy couple of blocks north of Camino Real, there's a big parking lot with free parking. The staff is amazing and always willing to go out of their way to help. Today, I bought a bag of chips and the cashier thought there were too many broken ones, so he went and got another bag...how awesome is that?
The best vegetable and salad section, whether you like organic or regular, it's always fresh and half the price of Publix. Fruit is the same. I do find the berries pricier but where else can you find bananas for 19 cents a piece or a bag of organic granny smith apples for $2.99. If you have a family and want to eat well, this is where to shop.
Now for the wine, you can't beat the price. 2 buck Chuck is now $2.99, I don't drink it, but plenty of people do and it does make a good cooking wine. Trader Joes has a nice selection of red, white and pink. You can find decent wines for under $10. If you like red wine, the $7.99 Moonx is nice, with an aroma of dark berry fruit, cocoa, vanilla, and sweet spice, so is the Cocoban, its rich in berry flavor and is smooth and flavorful. At $2 less than total wine, it's a real winner. But my all-time favorite is the Claire Patelin sauvignon blanc. At $5.99 a bottle, it's my go to cold white. Fresh and fruity, it's my absolute favorite and it pairs well with some of the great cheeses at Trader Joes, like the apricot stilton or even some of the frozen appetizers like shu mai or spanakopita.
There's something for everyone here. If you haven't been, try it, you may be hooked too. read more