Archer Farms Lobster & Cheese Bites

I have that terrible song about McDonald's Fish McBites stuck in my head. "Fish fish McBites, McBites, fish fish McBites, McBites. They're fish-ay fish-ay!" In general, I always understood it to be a bad thing for something to taste "fishy," even if it is a seafood product. So to declare that "they're fish-ay fish-ay" is to declare that they're a little on the funky side. That's one of the main reasons I haven't tried them and probably won't.

These Lobster Bites, on the other hand, are very low on the fishiness scale—but still, perhaps just a tad fishier than the previously reviewed Crab Rangoon, a product which is still tied for the highest score on this blog ever. Now, I'm also a fan of these Lobster Bites, but they do come with a hefty price tag: in the ballpark of $7 for 10 bite-sized spheres. However, a wise man once told me, "Beware of discount seafood." You don't want to go cheap when you're dealing with lobster. I was horrified when I saw that Au Bon Pain offered a Lobster Roll for $13. But apparently, many people think you should actually spend more than $13 for a Lobster Salad Sandwich and get a "real" one from a mom and pop's local store instead. Since I avoid $15 sandwiches just on principle alone, I'll have to stick to store-brand, lobster-based appetizers for now.

And I have to say, they're good. The breading, size, and overall texture of these bites reminds me a bit of Trader Joe's Arancini Bites, but the insides taste like lobster and cream cheese rather than fontina cheese and rice. Each ball had leaked a significant portion of its contents onto the baking sheet by the time they came out of the oven, but the oozed-out portion was thick enough to be scooped up easily with a fork.

As was the case with the Crab Rangoon, I think these appetizers could pass for restaurant-quality. In light of that statement, the $7 you pay for them doesn't seem so unreasonable, considering you'd pay nearly twice that at a fine dining establishment. So if you want to impress some guests or throw some pseudo-chichi party at your house, keep these Lobster Bites in mind. But all things considered, I'd still say the Crab Rangoon is a slightly better buy.

I give these Lobster Bites 8 out of 10 stars.