trader joe's.

[Joe Smith]

i understand the goal of retail. i get it. just because your store fits a successful retail model doesn't mean I (or the community as a whole) needs to respond positively to your encroachment upon locally sourced products. if anything, communities with strong local products and existing successful stores should celebrate that instead of fucking two-buck chuck.

I understand how babies are born, but that don't make me your mommy, let alone give me any experience in childbirth.

From reading your posts the last few years and what everyone else has to say when they're in the same realm of thought as you, I have noticed that you really don't have one iota of life experience to back up almost anything you post and you rely on conjecture, what-if-isms and whatever you might of gleaned from a printed page or silly website or the occasional hipster mag or book you might find in the dumpster. It seems obvious to me that you're trying real hard to fit in with what I suspect are folks you consider better than you here and desperately engaged in trying to one-up almost everyone using mental crutches and and sleight of hand tricks that you believe that you're getting over on people with.

Keep up the good work.



Isn't life grand?

Just think of all the dead people who would give their eye-teeth to be were you're at right now.

[KC0KEK]

LaVazza is good coffee. I first saw it at Scimeca's on the Avenue years ago, but for the same price I can buy a bag of beans and get 2 cans worth of coffee out of it.

You can get LaVazza beans, too. Regardless of brand, I prefer to grind my own. I've had LaVazza both ways. Never had coffee in one of their cafes, though. I think there's still one a half-block off of Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

The Roasterie is pretty good and they don't want you to forget it. Hence their coffee is often the most expensive where I shop. I do wonder about their commitment to quality when they use so much nasty glue on their bags that you have to cut the top of their bags off to get your beans. If they can't get something as simple as the packaging on their products right, what else is getting screwed up or missed entirely.

Interesting. I've never encountered that problem. Maybe it's because I order it direct in 5 lb. bags rather than buying prepackaged 1 lb. bags in the grocery store. I toured their factory years ago but don't remember seeing how they seal the bags.

I'm interested to see what kinds of coffee TJ's will have. 

I can't remember the name, but a good one comes in a tall, blue can that's more than 1 lb. (It might be 24 oz.) Very flavorful.

I would avoid the one that comes in a shorter, orangey can and says something about smooth and mellow. I knew that it would be less bold, but it was almost devoid of flavor.

[FangKC]

City council waives residential density portion of liquor license law--paving way for Trader Joe's to open.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/26165557/detail.html

There are limits on the density of licenses allowed in/near residential area, so it sounds like this neighborhood is at its limit and an exception has to be made for another license.  It shouldn't be a big deal unless neighbors raise a stink.

Here is the ordinance:
http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/liveweb/Docum ... 7WpRy3w9PX

It will be heard at the Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee on December 15th if you want to testify or contact the committee members:
http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/liveweb/Group ... FgUcblF9/9

[trailerkid]

I understand how babies are born, but that don't make me your mommy, let alone give me any experience in childbirth.

From reading your posts the last few years and what everyone else has to say when they're in the same realm of thought as you, I have noticed that you really don't have one iota of life experience to back up almost anything you post and you rely on conjecture, what-if-isms and whatever you might of gleaned from a printed page or silly website or the occasional hipster mag or book you might find in the dumpster. It seems obvious to me that you're trying real hard to fit in with what I suspect are folks you consider better than you here and desperately engaged in trying to one-up almost everyone using mental crutches and and sleight of hand tricks that you believe that you're getting over on people with.

Keep up the good work.



Isn't life grand?

Just think of all the dead people who would give their eye-teeth to be were you're at right now.

no matter what you say about me...I can always rest easy knowing that I never hung out at Grinders. 

[jchgh2]

You're missing out...the pizza and cheesesteaks are quite good

[mean]

You're missing out...the pizza and cheesesteaks are quite good

Yeah, but they'd be ruined by the sourness of smug superiority.

[trailerkid]

I've been thinking about TJs in Leawood...Dean and Deluca (which stocks a number of local products) will likely take the biggest hit on the KS side once TJs opens. I bet D&D is now wishing they moved across the street which likely would've prevented TJs from securing a location @ 119th/Roe. 

Yeah, but they'd be ruined by the sourness of smug superiority.

Grinders ruined itself by the sourness of smug superiority. Just an excuse for 40+ year-old art geezers to sit around pretending they're in Austin circa 1989 or Greenwich Village circa 1972 instead of the gentrifying Xroads circa 2006. Sorry, not a big fan of art cars or those guys on KCPT.

[mgsports]

Trader Joe's can just take the Borders space then.

[mean]

Grinders ruined itself by the sourness of smug superiority. Just an excuse for 40+ year-old art geezers to sit around pretending they're in Austin circa 1989 or Greenwich Village circa 1972 instead of the gentrifying Xroads circa 2006. Sorry, not a big fan of art cars or those guys on KCPT.

I rest my case.

[bbqboy]

I rest my case.

I can't wait for TK's posts from the future when he is a 40+year old smartass. Shoud be an interesting perspective.

[WSPanic]

no matter what you say about me...I can always rest easy knowing that I never hung out at Grinders. 

Grinders ruined itself by the sourness of smug superiority. Just an excuse for 40+ year-old art geezers to sit around pretending they're in Austin circa 1989 or Greenwich Village circa 1972 instead of the gentrifying Xroads circa 2006. Sorry, not a big fan of art cars or those guys on KCPT.

I'm confused. You've never hung out there - yet you can completely define the type of place it is? The funny part is - it's not filled with 40+ geezers as much as it is pretentious hipsters like yourself. Still a good place to go, though.

[dangerboy]

I'm confused. You've never hung out there - yet you can completely define the type of place it is? The funny part is - it's not filled with 40+ geezers as much as it is pretentious hipsters like yourself. Still a good place to go, though.

[trailerkid]

I'm confused. You've never hung out there - yet you can completely define the type of place it is? The funny part is - it's not filled with 40+ geezers as much as it is pretentious hipsters like yourself. Still a good place to go, though.

I don't hang out there, but I've been there. I'm not young enough to be a pretentious hipster. I'm really pretty fucking weird, but trying to be _____? Negative. Let's get back on topic as I hated Grinders before hipster had entered the local lexicon anyway.  8)

[bbqboy]

when do you think hipster entered the local lexicon?

[trailerkid]

when do you think hipster entered the local lexicon?

i think Grinders opened a few years before inarticulate people started branding everything as hipsterish. now it's a term used for pretty much everything young, colorful, ironic and trendy-- completely useless. In the mid-2000s it described a very specific, white-belt wearing, asymmetrical haircut, Portland/Lawrence/Wicker Park-esque aesthetic. I would say the first, mainstream imagery in the past 20 years which truly captured the spirit of the upcoming "movement" was theDandy Warhol's "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" video from the 1990s.

[bbqboy]

i think Grinders opened a few years before inarticulate people started branding everything as hipsterish. now it's a term used for pretty much everything young, colorful, ironic and trendy-- completely useless. In the mid-2000s it described a very specific, white-belt wearing, asymmetrical haircut, Portland/Lawrence/Wicker Park-esque aesthetic. I would say the first, mainstream imagery in the past 20 years which truly captured the spirit of the upcoming "movement" was theDandy Warhol's "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" video from the 1990s.

OK.well, I at least understand why I don't understand you.

[ThaMexican]

Grinders great food and good  beer selection, I am happy as well as my tummy when I am done eating. Go with some friends and maybe one is 40 the rest 30s or late 20s.

[trailerkid]

Can you name a locale that fits this description?

you mean a store? Nature's Pantry, GreenAcres, Nature's Own, Cosentino's, The Merc, Whole Foods, HV, D&D, etc are ALL purveyors of local KC products and businesses in varying forms. There are no local products sold at TJs. None. As I said before it is the Walmart of organics and relies on a secretive, multi-national network of suppliers. The main difference I've noticed is that TJs concentrates on high quality, cheap stuff whereas Walmart does not. I'm just putting this out there and people can do with it what they will. There will be an economic impact on local retailers and local products when TJs opens. I don't really see that as an arguable thing.

I will rescind a bit of my commentary on TJs products as I've enjoyed a handful of their private label stuff. Their apple cider was off the freaking chains. My fam downed a gallon in one evening. I made a corn pudding and there was absolutely no comparison between TJs frozen corn and Green Giant. TJs ethered that shit. Ideally, there would be an iphone app or a master list of products which are quality and based in KC (everything from Hallmark to Green Dirt Farms). People should make an effort to support these businesses in the face of TJs expansion while shopping at TJs (if need be) for items which have minimal economic impact on the local economy (stuff like frozen corn or nuts). But gotta remember if your TJs dollars are going away from places like Cosentino's or Price Chopper it's a loss for the local economy.

[bbqboy]

No, I meant a Town or Area that would willingly reject a TJ's just like it was a Wal*Mart.

[trailerkid]

No, I meant a Town or Area that would willingly reject a TJ's just like it was a Wal*Mart.

There was obviously a debate about it in the Castro SF:

http://www.socketsite.com/archives/2010 ... a_a_y.html

There are some pertinent class issues going on when examining why there is no mainstream opposition to TJs in America compared to something like Target or CVS. Fortunately, there are still pockets of SF, NY, and hopefully KC with people that actually think about things deeper than "OMG! cheap food that's decent quality."