Trader Joe's Co. Inc.

Ramps Aren't Rampant in Houston

From the mailbag, a reader request for ramps: Ramps, which are basically wild leeks, are widely available in other parts of the country in the spring. Where can Houstonians find lovely spring vegetables like ramps, fiddleheads, etc? Tried Trader Joe's, no luck. Houston needs our ramps! Sorry to ... More >>

5 Hard Cider Cocktails To Try

By itself a good hard cider is a wonderfully refreshing, mildly intoxicating beverage that is a terrific summer brew alternative for non-lovers of beer (me). Add a little this, a little that, and you have a cocktail with some extra zing, more flavor dimensions, and enough volume for multiple large ... More >>

Go West, Young Man

The top 10 restaurants in Westchase.

Openings & Closings: Time for El Tiempo's Big Debut and More Crawfish in Chinatown

Are you in this for the long-haul? Good, because this week was chock-full of restaurant news -- and most of it happy news. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a long post, starting with recaps of a few stories from earlier this week. Ryan Rouse and Brad Moore of Grand Prize Bar in Montrose and B ... More >>

January 2013 in Openings & Closings: The Heights Heats Up

The eerily silent Shepherd Plaza near Highway 59 is now even dimmer this week after longtime tenant Le Peep closed up shop and vacated its space next to Amy's Ice Cream. Branches of the brunch spot are still open in Rice Village and the Galleria, according to a sign out front. Amy's and its other ne ... More >>

Pro Tips for Taste of the Town, Happening this Thursday in The Woodlands

The Woodlands boasts exactly two large food and beverage showcases each year: The Woodlands Wine & Food Week in the summer, and The Taste of the Town at the end of January. Needless to say, when these events take place, they are kind of a big deal. This Thursday is the Taste of the Town's chance to ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Green Grocers Come to Katy and Hooters Enhances Its Seats

Congratulations, Katy -- your grocers have officially gone green. Two new grocery stores are opening this week in Houston's far west suburbs, starting with the Whole Foods Market that's opening this coming Wednesday, January 30. The newest Whole Foods will feature 34,000 square feet of organic good ... More >>

The New Trader Joe's in Memorial Opens in One Hour; Are You Ready?

After receiving its sales tax permit all the way back in December 2011, the Trader Joe's #427 at 1440 S. Voss is ready to open -- at 8 a.m. today. The new Trader Joe's location is situated on a once-empty pad site that was previously occupied by a Michael's and smack in the middle of one of Houston ... More >>

3 Ways to Use Ready-made Pizza Dough for Dishes Other Than Pizza

There are less than two weeks until Christmas, and I'm done. Exhausted. Beat. I've baked cookies, bought and wrapped and shipped presents, made travel arrangements, made dog-boarding arrangements, and gone shopping and wrapping and shipping again. I've gone over the edge, and I don't mean Lady Gaga' ... More >>

How To: Assemble A Holiday Hangover Relief Gift Basket

Retailers would love for you to spend around $75 for a gift basket, but assembling one yourself costs you a quarter as much and allows you to indulge your creativity. Although smoked sausages, spread cheeses, and chocolates are popular components, I say rethink tradition. Who really needs more decad ... More >>

A Delightful Dough at Trader Joe's

It was inevitable, really. Eventually, I would have to eat my words here at Eating Our Words. Although I technically did not trash the Trader Joe's pizza dough I picked up a few weeks ago, I certainly implied that I didn't think it would be very good. And thankfully, I was wrong, because the dough ... More >>

Health Department Roundup: Downtown, Midtown, Trader Joe's vs. Whole Foods

Like so many homeless people and recently released inmates, we're going to stick mostly around downtown and Midtown this week. And we'll start with a citation - Deli Deluxe (1600 Smith/tunnel) got a ticket after an inspector found half a dozen violations. Two were new: employee eating in an unapprov ... More >>

Trader Joe's Fast Times Experiment

I'm no stranger to grocery stores with cult status -- I've been a devotee of Wegmans for many years. I will admit to finding the excitement over Trader Joe's amusing, but not in a snarky way; if Wegmans came to Houston, I would probably get a job there just so I could go every day. My husband and I ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness: We Offer Complimentary Trebuchet Rides Home to the Over-Served

Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating... Our Words, where we're already replacing bags of Halloween candy we bought then tried to hide from ourselves with no success. Damn you, fun-size candy bars. You snack like popcorn. We started the week off right with a call for aid in deciding the ... More >>

The $20 Trader Joe's Challenge

Editor's note: We asked five Eating Our Words bloggers to head to Trader Joe's with $20 and write about what they were able to get. We've gathered their stories together here. Katharine Shilcutt: Objective: Two meals for two for $20 My boyfriend and I hit Trader Joe's a little before 5 p.m. on a ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes 2012

No. 1, Korean Braised Goat and Dumplings at Underbelly.

Burger Bars

Houston's Top 10

Welcome to Houston TJ: Five of Trader Joe's Best Products

If you haven't been living under a rock, you know Trader Joe's opened up its first Houston location in the historic Alabama Theater this past weekend. A friend of mine,, a longtime TJ fan, was so excited, she threw a Trader Joe's-themed party -- Hawaiian shirts and all -- Saturday night. The shtic ... More >>

Three Rules for the Proper Use of Truffle Oil

My esteemed colleague Jeremy Parzen recently wrote an article decrying truffle oil as "evil" and as something akin to farts. Farts? Really? If truffle oil were really all that bad, it wouldn't continue ending up on dishes in some of the best restaurants in Houston. As with any other pungent ingredi ... More >>

Openings & Closings: What the Hell Happened This Week, Houston?

Seriously, guys. What the living hell. This has been one of the craziest weeks for openings and closings that I can recall in a long time. So when I say prepare for a ton of news ahead, I mean it. The biggest news of an already huge news week was word that Bobby Heugel and company are the new opera ... More >>

Nothing Bundt Cakes Opens in The Woodlands

It's a bakery dedicated to one type of cake: the classic bundt. This week, Houston welcomes the newest location of Nothing Bundt Cakes to The Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center right next door to the new Trader Joe's. While this location of Nothing Bundt Cakes has already opened up shop, the grand o ... More >>

Flaming Young

Ten food-related words you need to stop misspelling

Trader Joe's: Texas's Newest Sensation

What do you get when you take a grocery store with a jazillion specialty products, organic produce and flavorful freezer food and intertwine it with low prices throughout, then sprinkle it with a laid-back Hawaiian vibe? Trader Joe's. The specialty store, whose roots lie in the small town of Monrovi ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue Cheese

As Eater Houston reported earlier this week, West Oaks Mall is losing one of its biggest anchors -- Alamo Drafthouse -- as the chain expands into other areas of Houston, namely Midtown and Cypress. In its place, West Oaks Mall is getting a western-themed bar from country singer Toby Keith, Nashvill ... More >>

Italian Food in Bloom in The Woodlands

I appear to have unconsciously started a yearly tradition for myself: Discovering terrific Italian food in or near The Woodlands every spring. Last April, it was Capri Pasta Pizza & More, a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall in Spring run by Italian-born Barbara Coglianese that specializes in beauti ... More >>

Openings & Closings: The Blind Items Gain Vision Edition

Everyone likes to see a good blind item come to fruition. We have two that gained sight this week. With one of our most recent items, our readers -- as usual -- were spot on in their guesses. Ocean's, the big white house in Montrose that currently serves subpar seafood, will soon become Concepción ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Green Seed Grows Roots

Starting off the week with two bits of good news: Green Seed Vegan has moved out of its food truck confines and into a space of its own. The new spot at Wheeler and Almeda is conveniently located just down the street from Green Seed's former digs in the Third Ward, and it also means you'll be able t ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Montrose Redevelopment

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

St. Patrick's Day Food Trinity #2: Cheese, Oatcakes, and an Irish Blonde

As a warm-up to St. Patrick's Day, I am going back to my Irish roots and preparing three mini-meals consisting of three Irish items of food and drink. A trinity of trinities, you might say. Some dishes will be more or less authentic than others; all will promote mirth and therefore be in the spirit ... More >>

UPDATE: Trader Joe's Plans Locations in Memorial, Montrose

UPDATE: The Houston Business Journal reports that Trader Joe's has also received a sales tax permit for 2922 S. Shepherd, which is the location of the Alabama Theater. It looks like plans for the Montrose incarnation of the grocery store in the repurposed theater are back on. *** According to a po ... More >>

Food Trend Prediction: The Giant Cupcake

A few weeks ago, Katharine Shilcutt issued predictions for 2012 Houston food trends. Commenters wrote in with their own suggestions, including one from Stacy Zane: I was just in NY and saw that Doughnut Plant. But something else I saw was Baked by Melissa - quarter-sized cupcakes! I know the last ... More >>

The Biggest Disappointments of 2011

I think that 2012 is shaping up to be Houston's year, after a long 2011 featuring false starts, delayed openings, unexpected closings and failures to launch. That's not to say that 2011 didn't have its perks: Look for our list of the year's best new restaurant later this week. But it came with its ... More >>

Openings & Closings: Flying Saucers and Farmers Markets

H-E-B's Montrose Market will be open in less than a week.​In big grocery news this week, Trader Joe's has set its sights on The Woodlands as its first Houston-area store, Phoenicia has finally opened downtown and H-E-B's Montrose Market is close to opening at 1701 West Alabama. Stay tuned next ... More >>

Trader Joes Confirms The Woodlands as First Houston-Area Location

Coming soon to The Woodlands: More water taxis. Oh, and a Trader Joe's.​Sorry, Inner Loopers. Consider your bubble burst. Trader Joe's confirmed this morning that its first Houston-area grocery store will be located at the Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center in... The Woodlands. This news runs ... More >>

Garden Fresh: Cultivating Cauliflower

Photo by John Kiely​If Trader Joe's wasn't coming to Houston, I wouldn't bother with growing cauliflower, but TJ's Creamy Cilantro Dressing turns this meh veg into a dish. Like broccoli, it's a crop that thrives in cooler temperatures, so it's joining the fall crop rotation. Cauliflower can ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Trust Trader Joe's

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

Alabama Theater: Preserving The Little, Charming Details

Most people seem to be happy Trader Joe's might be moving into the old Alabama Theater? Seems so. We're not foodies, so we have no idea how hip/edgy/status symbol a Trader Joe's is. But the folks at the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance are worried that renovating the old space into an upscale ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

Remember: BestFest is this weekend, so don't fritter it away! Get it, those are corn fritters! Shut up.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we've been watching My Drunk Kitchen so much that our cooking skills have depleted drastically, while our drinking skills h ... More >>

El Real Tex-Mex Cafe & Shrine: Revival of the Fittest

Photos by Troy FieldsThe marquee is best appreciated at night, neon lights in full bloom.​Earlier this week, it was reported that Trader Joe's will likely be moving into the old Alabama Theater on West Alabama at Shepherd, thereby saving the old theater from obscurity and possible demolition. ... More >>

Trader Joe's Has Its Eye on Alabama: Alabama Theater to Be Reborn as Grocery Store

​The Chronicle's real estate reporter Nancy Sarnoff got the scoop today that grocery chain Trader Joe's -- after much speculation -- has its sights set on redeveloping the old Alabama Theater on West Alabama near Shepherd. The currently vacant building would be the first Trader Joe's in Housto ... More >>

Openings & Closings: July 2011

Chef Raj Dixit takes over at The Inn.​Another busy week in the city where good things happen in threes: Three coffee shops are opening soon, three chefs have moved into new positions, and three restaurants are fast on their way to opening (or reopening, in one case). And bad things happen in t ... More >>

Better'n Peanut Butter

Joanna O'LearyAlso comes in a Low-Sodium Variety​Better'n Peanut Butter was better'n I expected. I spotted this imposter spread at Trader Joe's and decided to give it a whirl. Note: I know TJ's is not in Houston (yet), but never fear, you can find Better'n Peanut Butter at H.E.B. and Whole Foo ... More >>

Food Fight: Store Brand Pretzels

Photos by Matthew DresdenStore brand pretzels from Whole Foods (left) and Trader Joe's (right)​As my friend Sara Dickerman wrote in 2007 in a fascinating piece in Slate, pretzels don't get much love in the snack-food world. When was the last time you saw a television commercial for pretzels? D ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Zester: Houstonians excited about Trader Joe's coming to town might be consider ... More >>

Houstonians Trading on Grocery Store's Texas Arrival

This Week in Deliciousness

"Raw" veal isn't actually raw; it cooks in its own tears!​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where this week we've had a difficult time convincing people that a) Goat Cheese & Dill Kettle Chips existed, and b) they were really, really good. Discontinued, alas. I guess ... More >>

Trader Joe's is Trading on Texas: Dallas to Get First Store

Photo by davyninInside a Trader Joe's store in Pittsburgh.​The Dallas Morning News roused a lot of food-lovers across the state with some happy news this morning: Trader Joe's, the specialty grocery chain based in California, is coming to Texas. Hot on the heels of another California import, I ... More >>

"Stamping Your Vegetarian Passport" at Backstreet Cafe

The tomato cocktail.​The "Stamping Your Vegetarian Passport" event hosted by Sommelier Sean Beck at Backstreet Café on Wednesday night was an all-vegetarian food event, a rare find in meat-hungry Houston that I, a recently converted vegetarian, greatly enjoyed. Passed appetizers included gre ... More >>

Making Change on Montrose

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt Vaya con dios, Taco CabanaThe intersection of Montrose and Westheimer is nothing if not mutable.  From being a sleepy residential neighborhood in the 1920s to the 40s to a run-down hangout for drug addicts and rough types in the 1970s and early 80s to a hav ... More >>