Our First Trip to Trader Joes in Orlando

We woke up early yesterday and went for a little run with thousands of our fellow Orlandoans. We all gathered in Winter Park for the annual Watermelon 5K and even at 7 in the morning it was hot and super humid.

We were treated to watermelon slices and mini smoothies after the race. Chad and I were hungry though so we set our sights on a little grocery shopping before finding some breakfast. We realized we were only a few miles from the new Trader Joes– the first in the Orlando area. The store just opened last weekend and we were expecting lines out the door like they were reporting on the news but it actually wasn’t crowded at all.

We were able to take our time walking up and down the aisles. I am not sure what my opinion of Trader Joes is. There is no deli or seafood counter, the produce area is very small and the shelves were very limited with stock. We went to look for some rice and found only a few brands and varieties. However, what they lacked in a large selection they made up for with quirky products.

We found “Inner Peas”- a bag of dried crispy pea pods and a tub of horseradish hummus. We found a bottle of orange muscat champagne vinegar and box of corn pasta.

Though the store is very small, they still have an area or two for samples. I liked the corn and chile salsa they were handing out with tortilla chips.

Orlando is trying to keep up with the times. We are also finally getting our first Shake Shack just next door to the new Trader Joes. This is going to be one crowded area soon!

We managed to escape with a little money left in our pocket and we ventured over to The Fresh Market where we picked up fresh fish and brussel sprouts for the evening’s dinner. As eclectic as Trader Joes is, we still love going to The Fresh Market on the weekends and taking advantage of their seafood and vegetable sales. However, as you can see from the picture below, looks like we picked up something extra special from our trip to Trader Joes.