Trader Joe's. You probably won't read about this supermarket in travel guides or tourist books. You might think to yourself "why on earth would you want to go into a supermarket while citytripping through New York?". You really should think that when you enter a Trader Joe's and the first person you see is carrying a sign that says "the line starts here".

That's what happened to us when we walked into the Trader Joe's in Chelsea. And it took a while before I realised how long the line really was. I was too caught up in looking at all the....well....everything. Once I noticed it I quickly put away the breakfast bars I had picked up so far and made my way out of the store. Where Esther was already waiting for me.

I know Trader Joe's from my visits to other US cities. And love that store. It has a neighbourhood feel and it's not as big as other supermarkets. The choice is somewhat limited. For US standards, that is. They carry "hard to find, great tasting food". And for all you Dutchies out there, if you get a craving for "speculaas", Trader Joe's is where you should go. They also sell different kinds of "speculoos". The main purpose of my visit was to get a couple of the reusable grocery bags. For $ 0.99 they make great gifts and keepsakes.

There's usually free sampling going on in the store and I've been told that the Trader Joe's staff will open anything in the store that you want to taste & try. I'm not too sure about that though. Especially in New York City. However, the free sampling is great for doing New York City on a budget.....

You really should not go into a Trader Joe's if you're in a hurry. Or at least check how long the line is first. This is the line I encountered the second time I went into the Chelsea Trader Joe's. But I got my grocerybags to give away (and keep), delicious organic granola bars, some mints in a cute little tin and a nice chat with the lady next to me on my way towards the cash register.

At the moment there are 5 Trader Joe's on Manhattan and 1 (almost 2) in Brooklyn. Check here to see if there's one close to you.