The Art of Trader Joe's

It's hard to put my finger on all the things that drew me to Trader Joe's in the first place. Do they have delicious foods? Of course. Do they have reasonable prices? Yes. Are the employees enthusiastic and friendly? Check. Are there exotic choices from around the world that are hard to find in mainstream grocery stores? You know it.

But there's also an ambience to each location that draws in the quirkiest of customers, seekers of novel experiences, and appreciators of fine art. It's not just the product packaging. It's not just the signage in the stores. It's everything about the Trader Joe's experience that draws us back over and over again.

And this new book by Julie Averbach nails that intangible appeal with such depth and expertise that I might not have thought it possible prior to opening up my copy of The Art of Trader Joe's. It's written in such a manner that it's accessible to even casual Trader Joe's shoppers and fans of whimsical illustrations, but the mind-blowing insights the author weaves into each and every page put it on the same level as a doctoral thesis in art history.

Each chapter is laden not just with photographs of actual Trader Joe's art installations, package designs, and store signs, but also pictures of the famous artworks from around the world which may have inspired them in the first place. It's carefully curated into categories such as "Victorian Cartoons," "Famous Art References," and "Pop Culture."

Julie Averbach traveled to more 150 TJ's locations throughout 20 states as part of her research. Sonia and I have been to Trader Joe's in 26 states, but Julie's got us beat on total number of locations by a good bit. Add to that her general knowledge of art and art history, and she's got the credentials to pull this off—but honestly, I never thought I'd be quite as impressed with this publication as I am now that I've started reading it.

It would make an ideal gift for any art lover or Trader Joe's shopper, or it could function as a coffee table book that's sure to impress guests and start conversations. I'll be reading it from cover to cover. Sonia is a professional graphic designer and lifelong art buff—watch our video review to hear her reaction to this book.

The book retails for $29.70 in paperback or $42.45 in hardcover on Amazon. You can also pick up copies at the world famous Strand Book Store in NYC or various other retailers on the east coast. Please check out theartoftraderjoes.com for more details. It would be hard to give this book anything short of a perfect score. This is one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. The Art of Trader Joe's gets ten out of ten stars from both Sonia and me.

Bottom line: 10 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Something Spritzy Sparkling Beverages

If you're here to read about the festive version of Something Spritzy, then happy holidays! If you're here at some point in the future to read our thoughts on the original beverage in the blue can, then welcome! Happy Easter or 4th of July or whatever magical time of year you happen to be reading this.

Once again, there's a video review at the bottom of this post with more info than I'll be writing here, but I'll still throw you a bone and drop some bullet points. First, neither beverage is super sweet. Neither one is bursting with flavor. They're both quite subtle. You'll note that they're relatively low in calories, the red can with 80 and the blue can with only 60, respectively.

They both have fruit juices and cane sugar. The blue version is a faint pineapple and orange flavor, with Sonia noting that there's a grapefruit-esque essence and slight aftertaste. The red can tastes like orange to her while I note more cranberry flavor and a faint blend of holiday spices—like Wassail Punch, but not quite as good or as flavorful.

Each can is $1.99. I give Trader Joe's Something Spritzy original and festive editions seven and a half out of ten...and that might be a feel-good holiday-style don't-wanna-be-a-Scrooge kinda score. Sonia gives the red can a generous eight out of ten and the blue can seven and a half.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Original: 7.5 out of 10.

Bottom line: Something Spritzy Festive: 7.75 out of 10.