Erica R.
Yelp
It's nice to have a Trader Joe's option Ithaca for when I'm around town. I don't do all my grocery shopping here, but it's a nice complement to my regular grocery getting experiences. I can find unique items that I know will appease my random cravings... they even have cha siu bao in the frozen food section. While they're not exactly like the cha siu bao (manapua) that I had while traveling around Hawaii (which usually contain the Cantonese red pork), it's nice to have a quick option (side note: I've purchased these from the frozen food section of local Asian markets up to this point, but many are pork buns with oyster sauce or other options that don't always taste that great).
It doesn't hurt that Trader Joe's has seasonal items that are really interesting too (see? https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/new-trader-joes-december-2021). I def picked up some of the recently released Truffle Cream Filled Gnocchi when I was sauntering through the frozen food section the other day.
Mind you, it's not just frozen foods that I'm buying here... the various trail mixes, cheeses, pre-made sandwiches or salads, and so much more... I appreciate the options they provide.
Side note: the staff here are very sweet and focused on providing a positive experience. They really bring the shopping experience full circle.