<p>Whole Foods is a lot more expensive than Trader Joe’s. But if you’re looking for a really good butcher, Whole Foods has them. </p>
<p>I am fortunate to live in the Bay Area, we have good butchers in the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Hispanic markets. They offer much cheaper meat than whole food and offer lot more different cuts than whole food as well. OTOH, whole foods is suppose to be ORGANIC and that is their advantage or selling point.</p>
<p>I never found any of the pizza/Italian type frozen entrees very good. My son used to love the mac and cheese but he said last time it tasted “funny” and he threw it out and told me not to buy it again. I also don’t like the bread.
Right now, they have the best price for nuts/pistachios that my husband and daughter like and I had good luck with an orchid plant…much cheaper than other grocery stores and florists and lasted for a long time. Other flowers did fade within the week.</p>
<p>Really surprised about the dislike of their breads. The Asiago cheese bread is perfect toasted, and the sprouted grain breads are staples in our house. But I keep them in the fridge. I do not care for their corn chips - too thick. And I don’t like their baked beans. But it will be tragic indeed if they stop selling the Cuban black beans!</p>
<p>Totally agree TJ’s is not meant to compete with WF. </p>
<p>No, TJ’s and WF’s are not in the same category. I like WF’s because they sell nothing with additives, preservatives or dyes. I know it is “clean” food for the most part. But their prices for produce irritate me, the same with nuts. So I do buy all my nuts at TJ’s and some organic produce that is half the price of WF’s. </p>
<p>The only frozen items I buy at TJ’s is the Orange Chicken dish and the thin crusted cheese “tart” in the pizza section (forget the name of it). I also pick up different beers to try and organic milk. Cheese is decent as well and better priced than at WF’s, although a much more limited selection.</p>
<p>TJ has occasional good cheapo vino but our local Total Wine store is only a few doors down. TW is just soooo amazing 
</p>
<p>HarvestMoon, if you’re looking for fresh produce, have you tried a CSA? We get fresh picked local produce delivered to our area (actually, delivered to our door because we are a local host) every week in the spring, summer and fall, and every two weeks in the winter. We’re lucky because we live in California, with its 12-month growing season, but people who live in colder climates can still get CSA veggies in the summer. Yum. </p>
<p>“No, TJ’s and WF’s are not in the same category. I like WF’s because they sell nothing with additives, preservatives or dyes.”</p>
<p>I think they are kind of in the same category base on the “clean” food actually. I think most TJ’s products also don’t have dyes, hydrogenated oils, milk with antibiotics or growth hormones, etc. It’s not quite as clean as Whole Foods stuff, but I trust TJ’s much more than a regular store.</p>
<p>Bought some sushi rolls from there–surprised to dislike them so much. We are ok with most of our purchases there otherwise. Have never bought anything rancid there. ICK!</p>
<p>@Cardinal Fang - no I haven’t tried CSA. What is CSA?
@HImom - I cannot even look at the sushi TJ’s sells. It just looks so old and processed. Never was even brave enough to try it!</p>
<p>A CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. In the CSA model, a local farm sells produces shares to people. A subscriber pays a fixed weekly amount to get a box of vegetables every week. Typically, the subscriber doesn’t get to choose-- the box contains whatever is fresh this week. Last week, my box contained Chioggia beets, baby turnips, Chantenay carrots, baby bok choy, a couple of heads of lettuce, a bunch of chervil, a bunch of chard and some Meyer lemons. In the summer, we’d get things like beans, yummy fresh tomatoes, strawberries, zucchini… summer vegetables and fruit. </p>
<p>CSA farms typically grow a wide variety of produce. In cold-winter areas, obviously, CSAs only supply subscribers in the warm months.</p>
<p>The advantage is fresh vegetables. The disadvantage is, we get whatever is growing this week. If your family likes many kinds of vegetables and fruits, you might enjoy a CSA, but if you are picky, this kind of arrangement might not work.</p>
<p>CSAs are local. You can Google to see if there are any CSAs near you.</p>
<p>I do a CSA…$15/WEEK. Lots of food but you get what you get and don’t throw a fit. Lots of “huh…spaghetti squash…OK”</p>
<p>Mine is from bountiful basket they have like fifteen States check out the website.</p>
<p>That sounds like great program. Will look into it for the summer/fall seasons. </p>
<p>We bought one that had only veggies, but it was horrid. Has made me much less interested in many of their fresh foods. Still do buy trail mixes, a few of their box baking mixes. </p>
<p>Regarding the TJ’s in Union Square–it must be a stand alone wine shop with its own operating license and a separate entrance from the grocery store. We have a similar situation CT.–since our supermarkets can’t sell alcohol other than beer, Fairway opened a liquor store adjacent to its supermarket with its own entrance and license. </p>
<p>Ours CSA is 50/50 veg/fruit. Right now is mostly organges, root veggies, squash…I have three acorn squash I nee to do something with today. </p>
<p>A reminder that TJ guarantees all of their products. If you don’t like it or something is wrong with it take it back for a full refund.</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan but it’s partly because the parking at the local one is a joke. My D is a great cook and shops there a lot, but never buys her meat and produce there. She goes to Wegman’s or Fresh Market. </p>