Cookie monsters

Now that we have Trader Joe's, we can get all the peppermint Joe-Joe's we want

A close-up of a box of peppermint Joe-Joe's shows the tiny bits of crunched pinkcandy that fleck the cream center.
Photo by Teresa Gubbins
This is the Candy Cane Joe-Joe's package. Now, when you go to Trader Joe's, youcan hone in like an eagle stalking prey.

You might think that devoting an entire story to a cookie seems extreme or touty. But, then again, you probably haven't had Trader Joe's peppermint-flavored Candy Cane Joe-Joe's.

Think Oreo cookie. But instead of plain white cream, the center contains a minty flavored cream laden with tiny bits of chopped peppermint candy that crunch and then melt when you eat them. Like an Oreo, the dark crunch of the cookie contrasts with the soft cream in the middle.

Yeah, it's just a cookie. But it's a good cookie, and this Christmas season is the first that it's been readily available in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Like much of TJ's merchandise, Candy Cane Joe-Joe's have a cult following. The mania magnifies because it is a seasonal product.

In prior years, fans had to ask a friend in California or another TJ state to ship them boxes of cookies. With Trader Joe's stores now open in Plano and Fort Worth, peppermint Joe-Joe's are but a 30-minute drive away.

Like much of TJ's merchandise, Candy Cane Joe-Joe's have a cult following. But the mania magnifies because it is a seasonal product; whether Hatch chile or morel mushroom, items with a limited availability always seem more desirable.

Candy Cane Joe-Joe's even have their own Facebook page, where fans share suggestions on different ways to eat them. (Throwing them into the freezer or refrigerator seems to be popular.) Their pepperminty flavor makes the cookies a quintessential holiday item.

A staffer at the Plano store says that the supply of regular peppermint Joe-Joe's is solid. There is also a limited-edition, multi-flavor Joe-Joe's sampler, which is great for gifting. It's a hexagonal box containing "decadently enrobed" Joe-Joe's in four flavors:

Double chocolate in dark chocolate with a milk chocolate drizzle
Peppermint in dark chocolate with peppermint sprinkles
Peanut butter in milk chocolate with a dark chocolate drizzle
Ginger in white chocolate with ginger-snap sprinkles

However, bad news: The Plano staffer says that they've already run out of a smaller box of chocolate-coated peppermint Joe-Joe's.

Wait a minute: There was a chocolate-coated peppermint Joe-Joe that we now can't get? Calling Los Angeles now.

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Opening News

Mexican seafood restaurant with flash to debut at The Colony

Jako

Ceviche at Jako

A flashy yet authentic Mexican restaurant is coming to The Colony: Called Jākö Cocina Y Agave, it's from a partnership between two veteran hospitality groups and will open at The Grotto at The Grandscape at 5754 Grandscape Blvd. #110, directly below Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill (which was previously two-level).

According to a release, it'll open on October 31.

Jākö Cocina Y Agave is from 3ntourage Hospitality, which the release says has collaborated with brands such as Virgin Hotels, Harwood International, and Montage Hotels & Resorts. Wonderland Hospitality is the team behind venues such as Snowbird Cocktail Lounge & Kitchen and Tipsy Alchemist Austin. General managere Enrique Jurado has worked at New York restaurants such as Lupa Osteria Romana, Bar Verde, and Giorgio’s of Gramercy.

Food
The food and drink will consist of authentic Mexican flavors paired with avant-garde mixology. Executive Chef José Caballero is a native of Venezuela who discovered his passion for gastronomy in Ecuador and continued his culinary training in Spain, working at Michelin-starred restaurants and establishing himself as a versatile and innovative chef.

The menu combines familiar dishes such as birria and enchiladas with a modern take on Mexican gastronomy. Such as:

Campechana de Mariscos — Mexican seafood cocktail, served in a frozen molcajete using liquid nitrogen, with ceviche surrounded by a cold mist that envelops the plate
Langoustines cooked tableside with an innovative salt crust technique

Cocktails will feature a striking visual presentation, with an emphasis on tequila and mezcal, including a menu of margaritas in many varieties headlined by the Elegancía Mexicana, which merges a traditional margarita with the sophistication of a martini.

Setting
Look for an atmosphere that transitions from dinner to an energetic late-night lounge featuring live music, combining dining and entertainment. They'll be open 4-10 pm on weekdays but until 1 am on weekends. The 6,800-square-foot space will accentuate Aztec culture but with a modern aesthetic. The space includes an additional 1,700-square-foot patio that overlooks The Grotto.

openings