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More Not Bad (Page 3)
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Originally Posted by subego
Something I’ve noticed about TJ. For all of its granola California feel, the place is packed with the unhealthiest shit.
More so than any other grocery store? I go there for specific offerings that I can't get anywhere else - cauliflower gnocchi, a wider variety of GF and DF ingredients and food, a decent selection of wine, better cheese selections, and some niche stuff like coconut cold brew concentrate and dark chocolate peanut butter cups ($4.50/16oz vs. $6.29/4oz at Target).
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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Originally Posted by Laminar
More so than any other grocery store?
No, but I’d aver TJ isn’t positioning itself as just another grocery store. It’s the place one goes to get weird shit no one ever eats willingly.
Originally Posted by Laminar
cauliflower gnocchi
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Iowa, how long can this be? Does it really ruin the left column spacing?
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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As amazing as ricotta gnocchi?
Weird-ass-foods-that-no-one-actually-wants isn’t interchangeable with granola-hippy-California-everything-is-healthy?
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Join Date: Aug 2001
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Originally Posted by subego
No, but I’d aver TJ isn’t positioning itself as just another grocery store. It’s the place one goes to get weird shit no one ever eats willingly.
You’ve apparently never been to a TJ’s if that’s your impression. The place is filled with perfectly normal stuff most people would eat.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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I’m drawing a distinction between how they brand themselves, which is granola California, and what they are, which to me is cookie butter sandwich cookies, a normal food a normal oinker like myself would want.
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They have staples, but frankly it's the variety we like. We would try cauliflower gnochi. Dark choc pb cups, yes please. Random cookies, side dishes, frozen indian meals...
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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My TJ is a farther walk than Kroger, so I rarely go except when I want more diabetes.
In the past, when I was entertaining I would put in the extra effort to go there and get these:
https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-S...rb_top?ie=UTF8
Which they don’t make anymore.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Iowa, how long can this be? Does it really ruin the left column spacing?
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Originally Posted by subego
I’m drawing a distinction between how they brand themselves, which is granola California,
Come to think of it I don't ever think I've seen any ads or branding for TJs. I guess the employees wear Hawaiian shirts and they have their pronouns on their nametags but other than that I don't know what they're going for.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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They used to have circulars, which were patterned off the Whole Earth Catalog. The WEC is pretty granola in my book.
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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I like the local (ish...it's not even a "short drive" from home) TJ's. The one I shop at has great produce, a variety of meats, and fish, and some pretty interesting seasonal stuff.
Having shopped at Whole Foods' Lamar Blvd original location, and having seen how WF "evolved", I think Trader Joe's is doing a pretty good job staying on brand.
Here in Central Texas, there used to be another chain that featured clean, organic, responsibly raised foods; Sun Harvest. They actually competed with Whole Foods in Austin and did well until WF went yuppie/foodie. Only Whole Foods had the corporate resources to do both organic and "not at all good for you" foods at the same time, and Sun Harvest started to lose market share.
Eventually, they were acquired by another chain: Sprouts Farmer's Market. There is one of these about a mile from my house, and we shop at that store occasionally. Again, they have a nice variety of good food, but they also have "interesting stuff" that is either super out there or extremely "gourmand-oriented". They can't beat H-E-B, the local chain for most things, but they have bulk fruits and nuts, and sometimes their beer or wine selection is worthwhile.
Meanwhile, H-E-B decided to counter the idea that "you can only get healthy, organic foods at Whole Foods" by introducing a new internal brand, "H-E-B Central Market", along with converting some of their larger stores to increase focus on the "natural" stuff. The thing is, H-E-B foods are good. Made of "food" instead of "ingredients", and often surprisingly healthier - even their "not natural" foods.
Long ago we decided that visiting Whole Foods was sort of like visiting a theme park, especially the corporate headquarters/anchor store at 6th and Lamar in Austin. Yes, we buy some stuff there, but we don't focus on what they have that other stores don't. Instead, we look at new and interesting stuff and give it a try.
Trader Joe's is a place we go to now and then for what we like and that we know they carry. No organic aura or implication that they have healthier food than H-E-B or Sprouts. It's fun to shop at a place that's quite different from our usual grocer, but because of my experience with how Whole Foods went from "a bunch of hippies who wanted everybody to have access to healthy food" to a mega-corporation that sold out to Amazon, I read labels carefully and don't buy hype or trend.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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I’ve mentioned it before but it bears repeating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamba_(snack)
Basically cheese puffs, but with peanut butter instead of cheese as the flavor. More pleasant mouth feel than cheese puffs. They’re chewier.
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Join Date: Sep 2000
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That’s basically the Israeli version of snack food. There’s always a bag or two kicking around my house “for the kids”
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Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Iowa, how long can this be? Does it really ruin the left column spacing?
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Where were we talking about HERR'S chips? I picked up a bag of Fire Roasted Sweet Corn chips (at Menards?) for a boating trip and thoroughly enjoyed them. Wife couldn't believe how they got chips to taste like sweet corn.
![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51QUA6tSsXL.jpg)
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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Hot honey, like pickleball, is now a thing, so I tried Mike’s Hot Honey® flavored Utz. I have a fairly low heat tolerance, but figured it would be on the milder side, which indeed it is.
Not bad, but I prefer the Carolina Barbecue.
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Southern California
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Utz used to make a Hawaiian spicy luau BBQ potato chip, but it seems to be discontinued. Good stuff.
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Join Date: Aug 2001
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The Meijer chain of big-box stores sells their house-brand Sweet Heat BBQ potato chips that have a surprisingly high level of heat to them. I’m not a potato chip guy, but I like these. Of course, they have that odd not-really-bbq “bbq” flavor that seemingly all bbq chips have, but that’s kind of expected.
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I think of that flavor as “BBQ chip flavor” and move on.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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One of the bennies of being on our shoots is a steady supply of Krave brand jerky. As mass-market stuff goes, it’s quite good.
It was time to reorder and I noticed they make vegan jerky. The mother of one of the actors is vegan, so I figured give it a shot.
They’re made of peas. I tried the Korean BBQ flavor. It’s not bad. It doesn’t taste like peas. It’s hard, which I equate with lower-tier jerky.
To demonstrate growth, I’m not going to make a pee jerky joke.
So, you’re in for a treat if you try it. The Krave people are really whizzes. R. Kelly.
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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More vegan. This time Patagonia brand Cheddar Cheeze crackers.
These are actually good. Unironically bloodmouth approved. The cheese flavor is merely implied, but in my experience that’s a vast improvement over the alternative.
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Clinically Insane
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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It’s kinda like McDonald’s hot mustard, may it rest in peace.
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Clinically Insane
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More vegan jerky. Made of soy instead of pea, so the jokes aren’t as amusing.
It’s soft, and has the right texture. It kinda has a bacon flavor I guess? There’s something weird about the taste at first, but that goes away.
This is actually pretty good. I’d pick it over most mass market jerky. It beats out the real bacon jerky I’ve tried, which has all been a disappointment.
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Bacon’s flavor is in the volatile fats, the meat may as well be cardboard without them. And jerky dries not just moisture but fat from the meat, so there you are.
I haven’t tried jerky in a long time. There used to be a brand carried around here that had flavored turkey products, and the hickory flavor was great. Then it disappeared…dang it.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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I’ve been sampling a bunch of stuff lately to see if I want to add it to craft service. I’m adding things like alligator, elk, and Bambi meat sticks to troll the vegan. No kangaroo. Those are too cute. Also no camel because I’m not trying that shit.
My favorite new find is Ayoba biltong. In the category of jerky with no carbs, this is by far the best jerky I’ve ever had. They have a “kosher for Whole 30” badge on the bag, Lam take note.
Available from Whole Foods and I believe Amazon proper.
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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Originally Posted by dav
these are still my favorite hot potato chips...
Mama Zuma's Revenge
not salty, not vinegary, a touch of sweet but not quite bbq, hot enough to make my forehead perspire.
I’ve been auditioning chips I can find in small bags and I got a box of Route 11.
I’m sad to report it was so greasy I couldn’t finish a 2 oz. bag.
My current best option seems to be the Hawaiian Brand Kettle, yet another Utz acquisition.
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Clinically Insane
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Not only not bad, one of the best Lay’s products I’ve ever tried.
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Definitely never seen that on store shelves. Also, I'm not sure what to ask for, as I cannot read the label.
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"Kobe Thick Cut Steak Flavor" according to google translate.
Although it, for just a second, changed Kobe to Kamikaze. Which seems culturally insensitive. And also like not much of a flavor really.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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Kamikaze chips taste like shark oil.
The translation I have is just “Kobe steak”.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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Originally Posted by reader50
Definitely never seen that on store shelves.
I’d assume it’s been outlawed in California.
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Doubtful - I never developed a taste for Asian cuisine, so don't wander into the right stores.
I vaguely remember hearing Lays had introduced a steak-flavored chip, presumably offered with English labeling. Still don't remember seeing it though. My impression is that there are more flavors made, but you may have to order them. Most stores just seem to stock the common flavors.
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Clinically Insane
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I found it at a “snacks of the world” place, which was sadly a bit of a disappointment.
You can order these on Amazon, though the prices from some sellers are ridiculous. Like, $8 for a 34g bag.
I also tried Tayto brand Smokey Bacon Crisps from Ireland. Not particularly notable. I have a bag of Cheese & Onion to try.
Also have yet to try Kurkure Solid Masti Masala Twisteez, which I think are like chickpea Fritos, Tiffany Break Delights from UAE, which are cream filled chocolate wafer thingies, and Twix Secret Centre Biscuits from Ireland.
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Other countries get much more creative with their chip flavors. Going to Canada on road trips and picking out strange chips was fun. ![Big Grin](http://forums.macnn.com/images/smilies/oldschool/biggrin.gif) Pickle, ketchup, etc.
Steak and potatoes go great so I bet these are wonderful.
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Clinically Insane
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Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
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The Twisteez were just okay. Harder, less flavorful, and less greasy han a Frito.
The Twix are just big, round Twix.
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Clinically Insane
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Better than average as far as BBQ flavors go. Heavy on the smoke.
These are fantastic. Even better than the steak. Very sweet.
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Clinically Insane
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Tastes like shrimp chips.
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Prison commissary food from the exotic shores of Missouri. A not bad implementation of “all dressed up” flavor. Little stronger than usual.
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Clinically Insane
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This is from China proper (the others have been Taiwan).
Not bad. Low frequency high amplitude is as advertised. Can’t really identify the flavor, but whatever it is the People’s Republic didn’t skimp.
(
Last edited by subego; Aug 13, 2024 at 10:45 AM.
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What's the store name you're getting these from? Assuming it's a chain. If it's a mom & pop in Chicago, that would be disappointing. Beyond my usual shopping distance.
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Clinically Insane
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Epic Snack Shack. It’s a mom and pop, but they ship.
https://www.epicsnackshack.com/
Not cheap. On Amazon, a 12 pack of the BBQ Chicken Skewers works out to $3.33 per 34g bag. It’s $5.99 at this place.
I kinda get the feeling it won’t last too long, so I want to figure out what’s good and integrate it into craft service. So far the Kobe steak, Ribs, and BBQ Chicken Skewers have made the cut. Their stock revolves. No Kobe Steak available this time, and there were some Doritos I wanted to try from last time but they were gone.
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Clinically Insane
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Not bad, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re curious what a plain Dorito tastes like.
A Frito. It tastes like a Frito
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Clinically Insane
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Eh… light on the lemon and foot.
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