Trader Joe's at The Markets at Epps Bridge
While I am growing accustomed to living in the South, one thing that I have continually missed after moving from Oregon is shopping at Trader Joe's. For those of you familiar with Trader Joe's, no explanation is needed. For those of you not familiar, well, it is just the coolest grocery store ever, giving a boutique feeling offerring different varieties of common, and not so common, foods and drinks.
Trader Joe's Produce Section
I had read that one would be opening this fall and have been looking forward to it for months. Well, it finally did and last week I made my first trip. I went inside and felt energized. It has been years since I have shopped in one. I had to go up and down every aisle, inspect every shelf, look in every freezer and cooler case, inspect every label. looking for foods and brands that I could not find at any of the "super" markets or other specialty shops around. And I was not disappointed.
When you enter you immediately are greeted with dozens of colorful flower bouquets from which to select. And just beyond that is the produce section. To the left are the aisles of shelved foods and foods in coolers.
Indian Food Cooler at Trader Joe's
One aisle is coolers filled with delicious looking foreign foods. The usual Mexican and Italian varieties from brands you don't find in most stores but also Indian, Japanese and fair from other nations.Sadly, they weren't carrying any pierogi that day.
Three Buck Chuck Selection
At the far end of the store is the Trader Joe's wine section, home of the famous Two Buck Chuck, which, today is now Three Bucks. It is their Charles Shaw House wines for $3 a bottle. Maybe not something that you would find on the wine list at some 5 star restaurant but certainly affordable and palatable. Of course, they have a good selection of comfortably priced domestic and foreign wines, including a Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir which I am looking forward to opening.
So, if you want to have a bit of fun shopping for food that is the same, but, maybe a little different, in an atmosphere much different than any super market, stop in at Trader Joe's. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.
Oh, and the prices aren't too bad either!
All photos taken with iphone.
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