Are you looking for a date night idea or just to try some new food items? Well, Jules, the photographer for this article, and I have the perfect cheap and easy activity for all the food lovers out there. We call this Trader Joe's Date Night — but you can do it with any grocery store that you love. If you’ve heard of this already, it’s probably because everyone on TikTok is doing it. We don't blame them — this was so much fun!
Date Night Prep
To decide who chooses the drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert, play a game of rock, paper, scissors. I would suggest practicing beforehand so you actually get to make some of the choices. Our game worked out pretty even — I won the appetizer and dessert, and Jules took the drink and entree. Once we fought for these decisions in the corner of Trader Joe's, we were ready to go search for our items.
The drink section at Trader Joe's can be overwhelming. Unable to choose just one drink, Jules went for the Villa Italia Blood Orange Soda and the Sparkling Apple Cider. They were both delicious, but the blood orange soda was especially tasty. It was the perfect tangy mix of sweet and sour.
The Food
Now, the appetizers were a bit harder for me. The selection at Trader Joe's is huge and everything looked delicious. I ended up going with something that I had never tried before: Artichoke Timbales. If you love artichokes then you might just love these, but these will not be holding a permanent spot on my shopping list. The texture was too mushy and the artichoke flavor was more overpowering than I'd hoped for. Luckily, the main course made up for the disappointment of the appetizer.
Jules spotted the Autumn Harvest Creamy Pasta Sauce and decided to do a pasta dish for the entree. She spiced it up by pan-searing some pancetta and shallots before adding in the pasta sauce and letting it all cook together. She plated it up with some herbs and parmesan for the perfect decorative touch. This was definitely the star of the night. If you are looking for a delicious sauce that tastes like fall then do not skip out on this stuff.
Last (but surely not least) is the dessert. If you've ever been to Trader Joe's, you know that their dessert section is amazing. They have everything from seasonal ice creams to chocolate-covered pretzels. The Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches looked delicious so I decided to grab those and did not regret it. The chocolate chip cookies were soft and chewy and the ice cream was the perfect creamy contrast. These should be on your shopping list from here on out.
Date Night Lowdown
From shopping for the products to making them and hanging out, this was the perfect friend date night. We got to try a variety of items that we never would have picked up otherwise and became quite familiar with our local grocery store. I would rate this Trader Joe's date night a 10/10, for the fun experience and delicious food.