Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ah, Trader Joe's, We Can Hardly Wait


Front page, above the fold news in this morning's Spokesman-ReviewTrader Joe's is coming to the South Hill in Spokane.  Our daughter Annie's assignment for next week's family Thanksgiving feast is to bring goodies from Trader Joe's in Seattle.  

Well, her trips to the market before coming home will come to an end next summer when a new Trader Joe's opens 300 miles closer to Selle.  

After reading the article, complete with a architect's drawing of the new store, I said to Bill, "We'll have to make it a trifecta-----Costco, Cabela's and Trader Joe's.  Then I remembered Chaps.  

Bill was a bit disappointed.  

"You never even mentioned DICKS Hamburgers," he said. "You've completely forgotten about that."  

Well, not exactly.  I view some of these Spokane stops as having different purposes.  

DICKS is where we go when we're coming home on a late evening from some event in Spokane or from the airport.  

The last thing we want to do on a late night with an empty stomach is to get out of the car and go sit somewhere else.  Plus,  I'm always in the mood for people watching while Bill joins one of the long lines waiting to order their fish and chips or whammy and chocolate shake.

As Cannibal Chuck wrote in his review:  More than satisfying cheap food and the fastest service in town Dick's IS Spokane. Check out the crowd in everything from Hummers to beaters to transients on foot. 

From them slaking illicitly caused munchies to the overweight cops that catch them, the french fry smell that lingers in your upholstery for weeks will bring back fond fine memories of the freakshow that is Dick's. There is absolutely nothing not to love about this place.

Thank you, Cannibal Chuck.  I agree wholeheartedly.

I also forgot to mention Spokane's O'Doherty's Irish pub.  That's usually a required stop on evenings when Annie flies in from Seattle.  Hmm.  That means an O'Doherty's stop next Wednesday.  Yum!  That's also when Annie drives us home cuz I always have a beer or glass of wine to go with my Hawaiian burger.

So, that in mind, we could fill a day on a Sandpoint to Spokane road trip.  And, we can fill our cupboards, starting next summer with a stop at Trader Joe's. 

Love their barbecue sauce, their maple nut cookies----actually we love everything Annie brings home and immediately displays on the kitchen island within minutes of walking into the house.  We usually feed off from the assortment for about a week.

Next Thursday we'll have to share the goodies with other family members. 

The Spokesman article mentioned that  one reason the Trader Joe's chose the Lincoln Heights location because a lot of "foodies" live there.  Do I need to look up in Wikipedia what distinguishes a "foodie" from the rest of us who like to eat. 

I'm guessing these folks set high expectations on the sophisticated quality of every single meal consumed while the rest of us gobble up whatever's in front of us, even if it did come from a fast-food joint.  

I'll be glad to have readers educate me on the traits of a "foodie."  I always thought I was one of those. 

Isn't it funny how we go along through life instinctively taking on cultural habits simply because they seemed appropriate at the time, only to later learn that someone with a sense of infinite marketing wisdom comes up with a classy moniker for such behavior. 

Then, we suddenly learn we have good taste and didn't even know it.

That makes me wonder: will being a hick who dines at DICKS some day be cool?

Enough food for thought on this day of celebration.  Annie,  don't forget your Thanksgiving assignment AND Trader Joe's, bring it on to Spokane!!!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better hurry up and get your jollies at Dick's Burgers. I'm hearing that it's on the Food Nazis' target list. Dick's has been cited as one of the causes of obesity, heart disease, and Type II diabetes in our land. Negotiations are currently underway in order to find a way to keep the place open and, with luck, profitable. Dick's is about to do trial marketing on a new minced carrot burger in hopes that it will provide a nutritious alternative to their current fare. At last report, negotiations were snagged on a new Food Nazi requirement that only organic carrots be used.

Just thought you should know....

MJB

Word Tosser said...

THEY CAN'T TAKE OUR DICKS AWAY!! My kids always made that a stop when I use to take them to Spokane and I could afford to have them eat there...even my 2 hamburger sons....and that was 20 years ago..

Trader Joe's location is a puzzlement to me.. I have never been to a Trader Joe's ever...but would love to go see what they have and what all the excitement is about... but why the South Hill.. it seems to be a small place to put it... after all how many out of towners go to the South Hill? I would have thought one of the Valley mall's as people would come from Idaho, even Montana, who knows maybe Canada, and all surrounding towns near Spokane... seems like putting it in a residential area is thinking small... jmho

MLove said...

Cis,

The article explained something about no competition where another supermarket happens to be.

Check out the Spokesman story, and I think it's pretty well explained.

patton4 said...

Thats exciting about Trader Joe's. It's a fun store to go to... we have two within 20 minutes, but we keep saying we need one in DuPont! :) We have no grocery store. I'm really surprised they haven't put one in sooner... seems like an area that would have several. Have fun!

Word Tosser said...

guess we will never see one in Sandpoint with our 4 grocery stores.. dang!!