McLobster? What the hell is this?

[Darwin]

In the states the huge burger choice constellation can confound the price/quality ratio. In Houston, likely most places, for example a double cheeseburger at MickeyD is four dollars. At a Someburger shop a double cheeseburger fit for the gods is about the same. Even though a MacD's volume is hundreds of times greater than a Someburger their overhead is many many times what the small shop's is. So ironically the small shop can devote more resources in terms of quality indredients for their product than can a big outfit for a similar sales price.

Big chains are there for convenience--only. If people did not put that convenience at the top of their preferences then the lines at the small number of Someburgers would be hundreds of patrons long instead of the typical two or three. It works the other way as well. A "gourmet" burger in a good sit-down restaurant can go for more than ten bucks but few would say that the product is two or three times better than a quality burger from a small shop.

[Lobstersnuser]

If, for no other reason than my avatar, let me weigh in here. Actually, being a commercial fisherman who relies heavily on the successful marketing of these "bugs", this thread hits close to home. It's a hot topic with plenty of room for debate, so just a little food for thought.

It's sad to see the once noble lobster, the flagship of the North American seafood industry, be reduced to an item on a fast food menu or a condiment choice for a hot dog at a yum-yum bus.

Because of recent supply and demand imbalances, individual seafoods, like many other industry staples, are now subject to the quality=price scenario. The animal is graded heavily and then sent out to its appropriate market, be it a high-end restaurant or.....well you get the picture. If demand is high; more product for Red L@bster, if demand is low; more for the clown. The logistics involved when dealing with a live product and its market are complicated...... I'm sure PP can attest to this.

Regardless of our personal opinions of the Macs of the seafood industry they are sometimes necessary to move product in this day and age, for 2 main reasons:
1) Peoples spending habits.
2) Peoples eating habits.

Many cups of coffee and just as may trees have been devoured trying to develop new profitable markets for our oceans bounty. So far results have been filled with mediocrity.

Having said all that, fresh seafood adorns our personal table regularly. At its finest it truly is food for kings and I am blessed.

[Frosted]

............and there's the whole fishing sustainability/conservation debate.
Admittedly farmed lobster shouldn't have that problem.

[jagmanss]

Ronald Mcdonald says.....Just Eat It!....






He didn't even like it....

[Lobstersnuser]

............and there's the whole fishing sustainability/conservation debate.
Admittedly farmed lobster shouldn't have that problem.

Ah, the farmed vs. wild debate.

Actually, I didn't address the sustainability/conservation issue, or for that matter, the lack thereof. Stocks of the North Atlantic lobster are thriving and there is plenty of evidence to show the biomass has large recruitment numbers to sustain the stock. Various effective conservation techniques adapted by our predecessors continue to insure the current healthy population of the bug for the foreseeable future.

The problem is just the opposite. Supply has overrun traditional market demand. Industry long ago established hi-tech facilities to hold the harvested wild animal (farms, if you will) until the market catches up. The animal is already being "farmed" and delivered when needed. Nothing new here.

Long story short, the amount of people regularly spending their hard earned dollar on lobster and other "luxuries" has and continues to shrink dramatically. Our present world-wide economic situation is more than enough proof of that.

Even though we know it's good, most of us will think long and hard about one of those 30 envelopes of Ettan Kardus available, if indeed, we even buy it.

Hope this helps clear up some things. Sorry for the rant

[Frosted]

Ah, the farmed vs. wild debate.

Actually, I didn't address the sustainability/conservation issue, or for that matter, the lack thereof.

Thanks for explaining.