That's a fair question,Pineneedles,and one that deserves an answer.Used to be that a lot of restaurants used langostino's as a filler because it was less costly and and actually looks and tastes good.Lately,everyone wants to advertise 100% lobster rolls.....and that's where the fun starts. Fresh lobster meat claw/knuckle/tail is over $30 lb ,frozen c/k is around $18 and is what most people use,along with a little leg meat at $12 or so.Leg meat is sweet and tasty but doesn't look very good,so a little is great but a lot isn't,but saves a lot of money.But,wait....there is one more culinary trick.....leg and body meat at $6 lb....YUM...This is machine harvested and mostly tiny fragments of body meat,cartilage and who knows what else.....pretty nasty stuff but easily mixed with claw and knuckle and I don't think many places use it.
I agree with you Sam. All these restaurants that advertise 100% lobster meat are probably serving that. However, some make it a mixture including the filler of leg meat that lets them serve a hefty sized roll that is making customers say it is big in comparison to so and so. I agree that lobster meat is very expensive for the primo ie claw,knuckle,tail. I guess in the long run people want a gapping, full roll of lobster. As long as it taste like lobster, they will eat it and pay the price. Many consumers never actually purchase the 'filet' of lobster by the lb.
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