I’m a Trader Joe’s obsessive, and I know exactly what ingredients I want and where they are in the store. Accordingly, I don’t really go to any other grocery store unless we’re in an emergency milk shortage. Of course, the only issue with this is that between classes and my on-campus job, I don’t have time for much until 6 PM.
This is, unfortunately, when everyone else in NYC is out of work and also has time to grab groceries. I made the mistake of getting groceries on a Monday night at 8:30 after a late-night run. While the line didn’t snake around the store as per usual, this was somehow so much worse, as can be seen via my poorly-stocked basket (as opposed to brimming shopping cart). Here’s the horror:
1. Misplaced packet of gnocchi FTW, but where’s my sauce!
2. If that wasn’t bad enough, I can’t even make marinara.
3. This orphaned (yet very eager?) broccoli is just unfortunate.
4. First you take away my raw almond butter and now this?
5. Baby bella and white button mushrooms > everything else.
6. Unsurprisingly, the UWS loves its whole wheat bread but doesn’t quite care for Canadian white.
7. I’m trying to figure out how indicative this is of peoples’ love of chicken tikka masala.
8. Devastating. What am I going to eat for breakfast as I’m running to class?
9. Okay I totally get why these are selling out, they are amazing.
Photo: Sonia Bansal
But then I found these, and all was okay in the world. Still love ya, TJ’s.