WOW! Trader Joe's

Ok, so I am a bit behind the times as I visited a Trader Joe's store for the first time yesterday. There is a new store that has opened in Rego Park, Queens, NY, at the corner of Metropolitan Ave. and Woodhaven Blvd. I happen to be driving by when I thought I would check it out since I had heard so many good things about this chain of food stores that seem to be dedicated to healthy, whole and often organic foods and grocery items. I have also heard about their amazing wine prices, but, alas, this store seems to have no wine section. There is a Trader Joe's in Union Square, in Manhattan, that I have told myself I need to go check out for almost 2 years now and when I lived out in Long Island, I told myself the same thing about the one I occasionally used to drive past. So, it has been a long time coming. As a chef instructor and a currently single woman, I don't cook a lot at home and have little complaint about the food shopping in my neighborhood in Astoria, Queens, which is wonderfully diverse and ethnically rich. But this was a real treat and I will go back, as I can tell from one trip that there are several things I will add to my personal kitchen staples. These will include the low sodium stocks, $1.99 per quart, which are truly low (around 50mg) and the low sodium soy sauce from Japan for $2.99(an excellent price for a half liter). I also liked the one pound bag of frozen edamame for $1.49 which is easy to prepare in boiling water for 5 minutes and delicious sprinkled with fleur de sel sea salt. I also was pleased with the frozen Chile Lime Chicken Burgers which are low in fat, low in sodium and high in protein. The package is four 4 oz. burgers for $3.49 and they are easy to defrost in the microwave and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350F. I eat them with a dollop of mustard and some cornichon pickles and pepperoncinis, but they would be great a dozen different ways. All in all, I was very pleased that I had stopped and the checkout person was super friendly and polite and even though the location is not particularly convenient, I will return. So, if there is a Trader Joe's in your area that you have not been to....GO!!! You will not be disappointed. My only regret is that I didn't buy the Cilantro, Roasted red pepper and Traditional Hummus Trio when I had the chance.

Champagne Tasting

Last week I attended a Champagne tasting at Crush Wine & Spirits in Manhattan. It was an exclusive tasting of the just released Veuve Clicquot 2002 Vintage. There were over 500 people that RSVP'd!! Crush made the wise decision to require everyone to pick a 30 minute time slot to attend between 6 and 8pm. The ususal yuppie, well dressed, crowd was there. I was meeting a friend (we chose the 6:30 to 7:00pm slot) and while I was waiting for her to arrive I wanted to check out Crush's selection of Pinot Noirs, especially the Burgundies. Crush has the fine distinction of winning the "Best New Wine Shop" in 2005 from Food & Wine and "Best of New York" editor's pick in New York magazines, so I was curious as to how it stacked up to my favorite wine shops. Being a Burgundy/Pinot Noir lover, I find that it is a good barometer for evaluating a wine shop. They have an impressive selection and, if you can find the price tag, their prices seem rather reasonable. The 2000 (not a great vintage, but not a dog either) Échezeaux, from a fabulous producer, Domaine Daniel Rion & Fils, is only $79. Ok, this is a pricey wine, but a great value and ready for drinking today or in the next couple of years. My complaint is that I couldn't find the price and had to ask someone who originally told me it was $49.

My reply was, "No, it's not."

He said, "Yes, it is....well maybe it is $49 or $59."

Once again I said, "No, it's not. But, if you are right it is an incredible bargain for an Échezeaux."

He returned from checking and told me, "You were right, it is $79."

This is still a really good price for a terrific Pinot Noir from a reliable producer. Because my friend arrived, I did not get to browse their selection further. I will have to return and look when the place is not so crowded. One complaint from me would be that it was hard to find the pirces of their wines. A shopper should not have to constantly ask how much the bottles are. They should be well marked and easy to peruse without difficulty. When I asked the Crush employee I had been speaking with why it was so hard to find the prices, he made a lame excuse about too much inventory. This is unfortunate, I told him, because it shouldn't be that way no matter how much inventory they have.

As for the Veuve Clicquot 2002, it was medium-bodied and well balanced with citrus, toast notes and a hint of spice. It is decently priced between $65 and $76 (only the pre-released price of $59.69 was published). I am surprised by the blend, though, of 60% pinot noir 7% pinot meunier and 33% Chardonnay. There is not even the slightest hint of pink in the wine despite the 67% to 33% red to white grape ratio. I love rosé Brut Champagnes and would have appreciated that hint of pink in the wine, however, it was what I would describe as highly drinkable and would pair nicely with many foods from salads to tapas to roasted chicken. There were many Crush employees happily pouring the tasting portions and repeat tastings as well. They seemed amiable, unpretentious and reasonably knowledgeable. One of my favorite aspects of the shop is the good selection of wine books for sale near the entrance. More wine shops should do this. I had heard that Crush provides tastings with wine education and the selection of books speaks to this as being more than a gimmick. Crush Wine & Spirits is located at 153 E. 57th Street between Lexington Ave. and 3rd Ave. in New York City and can be found at www.crushwineco.com. All in all I would rank this as a 7.5 out of 10, which is high praise given how strongly I feel about the price tag situation. I will go back and that too is notable. Thank you Lisa, for inviting me to join you.