The Secrets of Trader Joe's

So I'm the last person to report on this, but Trader Joe's has invaded New York City. I made my first trip to Trader Joe's a month or so ago, although it was at their Plainview location, out on Long Island. And the next time I go to Trader Joe's, it'll be that location once again.

See, I stopped at the Union Square location last week to pick up some of the guacamole tortilla chips (which rock my world) and the tomato-garlic soup (which rocks Jess's world and makes me shudder from her breath afterwards). I filled up my cart with a good number of items, and only then did I happen to notice the line. The line that lined the entire perimeter of the fucking store.

I put everything back and left. It would have been quicker for me to go back to Astoria, get my car, and drive out to Plainview. Yeah, I'm a Bridge & Tunnel loser...but there's no line in Plainview. So suck it, Manhattanites. Enjoy your 65-minute wait for frozen chicken shumai!

Anyway, the nice thing about Trader Joe's opening in NYC is that I've recently read two great articles about the company.

First: For Trader Joe's, a New York Taste Test (New York Times). And I agree, dill can be very polarizing.

Second: An Insider's Guide to Trader Joe's (Slate). I've only been to the store once, and already I concur with this tip:

More Bags Per Dollar. Here's a fun one, New Yorkers. I'll be surprised if, within your first few shops at TJ's, you don't find yourself at the register thinking, Wow, that was cheaper than I expected. How often does that happen at Whole Foods?

When we were at the Plainview location, I kept chiding Jessica for filling up our cart with shit we didn't need (obviously ignoring the fact that all Trader Joe's sells is shit we don't really need). I figured our bill would be around $150. Nope. $66. Unbelievable.