Gourmet groceries and a roomy parking lot: This store will have it all

Hey guys. Hows it going?

So begins an Instagram post shared this week by Vista Councilmembers Joe Green and Dan ODonnell that announces some exciting news.

The news: Trader Joes is coming to Vista.

After many years of anticipation, Vista is getting its very own Trader Joes at the old Chuck E. Cheese at 1861 University Drive in the North County Square Shopping Center at Sycamore and the 78! Councilmembers and city staff have been on a mission to bring this health, organic, affordable grocery haven to our community.

In comments, people marveled not just at the news, but at the parking lot size. Because the store is filling an empty building with an existing spacious lot, this location will have a roomier parking lot than what is typical. Trader Joes lots are notorious for being cramped.

When are they planning to open? Been waiting YEARS for this, wrote an Instagram account user named cyn2you1.

Another Instagram account holder commented, You can fit 5-6 regular Trader Joes parking lots in that lot, and added a laugh-cry emoji.

The opening date has not been announced. On another social media site, Reddit, a user joked that construction will take a while. Its going to take them at least a year to shrink the parking lot.

From cold turkey to sweet treat

If youve been hunting high and low for Thanksgiving dinner in ice cream form, look no further. Salt & Straw has dropped its new flavors of the month.

The Thanksgiving Series features five flavors:

Parker House Rolls with Salted Buttercream, a returning flavor, is sweet and slightly savory, with bits of roll mixed in texture. They came together nicely, based on a taste of this same flavor, last year. Turkey Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce, made with spiced ice cream, a pungent berry swirl and turkey sausage, is another repeat. While writing and reading these words does not provoke great pangs of craving, the reader should know that this flavor was sampled, also last year, and savored. The verdict: if youre the kind of person who likes bacon on doughnuts, this flavor might be a good fit. Far from being a mouthful of turkey, the ice creams sausage accent instead delivers miniature morsels of chewiness that contrasts with the sweetness. The more traditional Moms Mango Pie is a rich confection made with mango ice cream, mango curd and graham cracker crust crumbles. Sweet Potato Casserole, a vegan flavor, is made with a sweet potato coconut oak milk base, candied pecans and oatmeal streusel. Pumpkin Spiced Tiramisu mixes together pumpkin spice coffee ice cream, a tiramisu cake swirl and bits of chocolate.

Salt & Straw, based in Portland and innovating since 2011, has three shops in San Diego.

Tuesday is decision time

Much will be decided on Tuesday.

Mendocino Farms is giving San Diegans one more set of options: dine-in or drive-thru?

On Tuesday, the fast casual restaurant is opening its newest restaurant in Scripps Ranch, at 10715 Scripps Poway Pkwy., in the same shopping center with a Vons.

The new location will feature the brand’s first-ever mobile pick-up lane, a brand representative wrote in an email. This new feature was envisioned with the needs of customers in mind. From afternoon carpooling to quick lunch breaks, Mendocino Farms aims to make it as convenient as possible for fans to enjoy the fare that they know and love.

This is the chains eighth San Diego County restaurant.

Do you have a tip about San Diego shopping deals or news? Send me the scoop: roxana.popescu@sduniontribune.com.