I have to get it out there before I burst...I'm in love with another man. That's right. His name is Joe - Trader Joe to be exact and although I have no idea how old he is or what he looks like, I just know we'd be the perfect match. After all, he has his own really cool grocery store and there's nothing I like more than a great grocery store. I envision Trader Joe to resemble Jimmy Buffet in that laid back, no worries man, have another margarita kind of way.
And when did my love affair with Trader Joe begin? Actually, it was more than four years ago when I was visiting my son Jason in San Diego for the first time. He took me to Trader Joe's and I was hooked. Oh sure, I've strayed with Whole Foods but really, my first love is Joe. We renewed or love affair yesterday when I had to make a grocery store run to stock up for my week here in Napa and there he was - right next to the Whole Foods store. I felt a bit like I was cheating on Whole Foods as I hurriedly got my shopping cart and headed into the store.
Shopping at Trader Joe's is like going to a really cool beach party where all the employees are wearing Hawaiian shirts and the inside of the store resembles some kind of whacked out tikki hut. According to their web site, Trader Joe's started out as a small chain of convenience stores in 1958 called Pronto Markets. In 1967 the owner, Trader Joe, changed the name to, unsurprisingly, "Trader Joe's". Their motto is simple. "Great food+great prices= value."
I stocked up on all kinds of goodies. Single serve gourmet meals (because why cook for one when Joe can do it for me), great cheeses and breads, yogurts and some wasabi snacks (that I've not tried yet) all went into my ecologically friendly shopping bags (which I will be using at Albertson's when I get back home and watching the clerks glare at me).
Sadly, the closest Trader Joe's to Idaho is the one in Bend. I've sent an email to the corporate office, begging for a store in Boise. We'll see if I get a response....I bet I will.
No comments:
Post a Comment