Thanks all- we decided to go with the Kadejan turkey this year. I'm sure it will be super tasty!

My husband evangelizes for the Mark Bittman braised turkey recipe every year. You have to be okay with the loss of the image of a full roast bird, but it's so worth it for well-cooked meat! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV09oZ...

Anyone have suggestions for where to buy a turkey to cook for Thanksgiving? We got one at Everett's last year and were very happy with it, but wanted to see what else is out there.

Thanks!

The neighborhood buzz is that they'll be renting out the kitchen to the people who run the Chef Shack food truck...

Whole Foods carries these guys: http://shop.scharffenberger.com/Roast...

Usually located right by the bulk chocolate.

I've seen it for sale at the Wedge in past years, but haven't looked for it this year yet.

The sweet corn ice cream with honey butter bacon sauce was faaaabulous!

I've never found great pickled herring in the Twin Cities, but the Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais (right next to the Angry Trout) has by far the best herring I've ever eaten. Their smoked fish is great too!

http://www.docksidefishmarket.com/

My TJ's had a sign next to these when they first came in that said they were a one-time order so would be gone forever after they ran out... bummer!

I tried the sipping chocolate and the bittersweet peppermint hot cocoa... yea to both!

They also have a variety pack of four different flavors of the chocolate-covered JoJos- dark chocolate/peppermint, double chocolate, milk chocolate/peanut butter, and white chocolate/ginger. Yum!

Yea to the cinnamon spiced pear cider- the spiced apple cider is a bit too spiced for me, but the pear is just right.

Does anyone know if their "sipping chocolate" is any good?

I got a bag of their new semisweet chocolate callets (melting chocolate) for coating truffles. They melted and tempered really easily, and I loved the level of bitterness. Great price, especially relative to the couverture chocolate that I usually get. I really dislike the TJ's 'Pound Plus' chocolate bars for truffles, but I'll definitely be stocking up on the callets for the holiday baking season!

Oh boy oh boy :) Happy to hear it's on its way!

Has anyone seen the pumpkin bread yet this year? My TJs has pumpkin waffle/pancake mix, but no pumpkin bread mix...

I am a member of Hampden Park, and while little, they usually have almost everything I need (we don't each much meat, so don't really notice the tiny expensive meat selection). The bulk selection is great, and they're really responsive to member requests for specific products. You don't have to work t be a member, but you do have to volunteer if you want discounts. 3 hrs per month for 15% off, 6 hrs per month for 21% off, and 12 hours per month for 28% off. The work can be shared between up to three people in the household, so if my husband and I work a 3 hour shift together, that counts as our 6 hours for the month.

We like Hampden Park :) It's quirky, but everyone is really friendly and the food selection is great.

I just flew out of Tucson a couple of weeks ago with a tupperware full of roasted green chiles and a big freezer bag full of fresh chiles in my carry on... no questions asked :)

The St. Paul Campus of the U of MN has meat sales on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 PM. The products are made mostly by students, so you have to be a little willing to accept some variation, but overall we've been really happy with what we've gotten there. We always buy our Christmas ham from them, and they're willing to fill special requests like chicken necks and backs for my dog. They also have the best bacon :)

More information and a product list here:
http://www.ansci.umn.edu/meatlab.htm

Does anyone know of a source of almond flour (aka almond powder) in the Twin Cities? I'd like to try my hand at French macarons, and it sounds like most of the almond meals that are commercially available (i.e. Bob's Red Mill) are too coarse for macarons. I may just end up making my own almond flour with a food processor if I can't find it, but would rather buy it if possible.

Thanks!