Trader Joe's Shrimp Noodle Rolls

Alrighty then. That's another unscripted video review down at the bottom of this post, so I'm just throwing out some bullet points about the product for you folks that enjoy my demented written ramblings or don't do YouTube for whatever reason...

The noodle rolls were very delicate by my estimation. They really wanted to stick to my pan and the shrimp even fell out of the rolls in a couple instances. There were plenty of shrimp and veggies, but there wasn't enough flavor. The bag even says to serve them with soy sauce or dipping sauce (not included). It was Trader Joe San Soyaki to the rescue. They were quite bland on their own.

$3.99 in the frozen section. Product of Vietnam. Listed as "Limited Time" on traderjoes.com. This item isn't awful, but we would not buy it again. Six and a half stars from me. Five and a half stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Shrimp Noodle Rolls.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Mini Mushroom Tartelettes

If you've been around for a while, you'll know I not only have a slight food sensitivity to mushrooms, but I really don't like their taste or texture either. And if you've been reading for a very long while, you'll remember Sonia had a very similar allergy in years past but she's mostly outgrown it. She's much more eager to take a shot at shrooms and feast on fungi these days, so she picked up this appetizer at Trader Joe's a couple months ago—which we recently rediscovered at the back of our freezer.

Considering I just straight up don't like mushrooms, I gotta say: this appetizer is oddly good. I mean, this product is case in point for why I try things that I "know" I don't like. The cheese, the buttery crust, the spice blend all help, but even the mushrooms taste nice here. There's a savory meatiness to them that I really enjoyed. Also, surprisingly, they're not very oily. Buttery? Perhaps. But not greasy or oily.

Sonia raved about this product. She inhaled 9 out of the 12 pieces in a single sitting—something quite uncharacteristic for her. It took a good half hour of her saying "Try them! You have to try them!" before I even took a single bite. She particularly enjoyed the flakiness of the breading, the creamy cheese blend, and the onion and garlic flavors underneath the mushrooms. She baked our batch in the oven, but I'm sure the air fryer would have done just as well.

$5.49 for 12 mini tarts. Sonia would buy them again in a heartbeat and I would attempt to overcome my disdain for mushrooms and eat half the package next time. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Mushroom Tartelettes nine out of ten stars. I'm still shocked at how much I liked them, so I won't contradict her on this one.

Bottom line: 9 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil

All things considered, Trader Joe's Canned Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil are a better introduction to the magical world of edible squid than Trader Joe's Crispy Battered Calamari, despite what my initial instincts would have told me.

This product is just a tad chewy, but it's head and shoulders above the fried version, texture-wise. Both products have a pretty nice flavor in my opinion, but I think this one might just edge out the competition in terms of taste, as well, despite the crispy battered goodness coating the other product.

The tin contains 2.82 oz of bite-sized squid pieces, sourced off the coast of Spain. They're packed in olive oil and salt, and they're ready for consumption straight out of the can. Apparently the species is known as "jumbo squid" or Humboldt squid. They're much larger than the normal little squids but not as big as the giant ones that can attack submarines and eat unsuspecting swimmers in the open ocean.

I tried them plain and also on a simple arugula salad. Looking forward to trying them with Spanish rice and maybe in a pasta dish. If you've got any other ideas, let us know in the comments.

$3.99 for the single serving can. Would buy again. Eight out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Tinned Calamari Pieces in Olive Oil. Sonia will go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo

Couldn't tell you how long Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo has been around. It's not the type of product we'd have pounced on immediately after hearing about it or seeing it in the freezer at TJ's. Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of pork bacon or mushrooms. Like me, Sonia had a slight reaction to mushrooms in the past, but she's outgrown it and is now starting to become fond of the spore-bearing fungi.

Nevertheless, neither of these appetizers really wowed us. Predictably, Sonia gravitated towards the mushroom tarts while I just slightly favored the bacon ones—but definitely not because of the bacon—but rather because of the sweet onions. Still, both specimens would have benefited from more of the onions, Swiss cheese, and egg elements.

The part we liked the best was the bready, buttery, flaky crust that comes out so perfectly when heated in the air fryer. It's pretty standard for these Trader Joe's tart-style appetizers. There are numerous varieties, and they're all convenient and fun to try. 

I think our favorite might still be Trader Joe's Feta Cheese & Caramelized Onion Pastry Bites, which have been available at the store since 2011.

In short, we're cheese and egg people. Mushroom and bacon people, have at it. Let us know what you think.

$4.79 in the frozen section. Product of Canada. Probably would not buy again. Sonia and I will throw out six out of ten stars each for Trader Joe's Mini Quiche Duo.

Bottom line: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Panzerotti Pizza Bites

Four bucks gets you "about 4 servings" of panzerotti. There were 11 little pizza pouches, like mini calzones, in our bag. It's another Italian import, and it's another disappointment, unfortunately.

On the plus side, there's absolutely nothing offensive about these little doughy doodads. They're made of soft flour on the outside and they're filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. 

Straight out of the air fryer, there are wisps of cheese just starting to ooze from the seams on the little pizza pockets. The only hint I had that these wouldn't be perfectly scrumptious was the curious absence of a fresh-baked pizza smell. There wasn't much odor at all, save for the scent of slightly toasty reheated wheat bread.

And the taste? The same. Remarkably bland for Italian food. You can tell there's cheese and sauce, but it's like they forgot all the spices. I see them listed in the ingredients, but I guess I just want more—more garlic, more oregano, more basil, more pepper.

The texture is pleasant. The shell is soft and fluffy, slightly crispy on the outside, depending on how long you air fry them. The cheese and sauce are nice and gooey, although most specimens could have used a lot more of both. It's mostly just empty space on the inside of the pockets.

You could salvage these by dipping them in tomato bisque or some other kind of creamy, thick soup. Or maybe you could add your own cheese and spices. Again, they're not awful, they just didn't live up to their potential and are far too bland in our opinions.

Seven out of ten stars from Sonia. Six out of ten stars from me for Trader Joe's Panzerotti Pizza Bites.

Bottom line: 6.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Garlic Gondolas

I've said it many times: I'm a carbivore. Not necessarily proud of that. It's just a fact I love breads, pastries, cereals, and all manner of grains. I'm also oddly fond of garlic. I wasn't particularly enamored with it as a kid, but as I've grown old, I've come to appreciate its essence not only baked into Italian style dishes but also raw garlic for its potent medicinal properties and pungency.

Garlic bread? Of course I love garlic bread. We've seen our share of it from Trader Joe's. We've reviewed garlic bread with shrimp, bake at home garlic bread, garlic monkey bread, garlic cheese bread, and even garlic bread cheese. Can't say TJ's garlic bread track record has been particularly stellar. In fact, I think we're still on the hunt for a real winner.

If anybody knows how to make garlic bread, it's the Italians. And not only do we have a uniquely Italian product title with this item, but it is, in fact, an Italian import. So far, so good.

Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes on parchment. Done. The verdict? It's garlicky. It might even be too garlicky for some. Obviously, it's not raw garlic since it's been baking in the oven for the past dozen minutes or so. It's a decent roasted garlic flavor that I can appreciate. No, the garlic flavor isn't the problem here.

The cheese flavor is so subtle I wasn't even sure it had cheese until I looked at the ingredients. It's more like a thin layer of an oily garlic paste on a stiff slab of wheat bread. It's not crispy like Texas toast, but nor is it super soft. It's almost like the slightly chewy dough from a slice of New York style pizza but without any tomato sauce and practically no cheese.

It's not a terrible product, but it seems like it's missing an ingredient or two. Paired with a pasta dish, some marinara sauce, or a bowl of cherry tomatoes, it would be passable. The presentation is unique and interesting, but if you're playing the odds, you'll get better garlic bread from the local mom and pop's Italian restaurant.

Probably would not repurchase. Four bucks for two of Trader Joe's Garlic Gondolas, found in the frozen section. Six out of ten stars from me. Six and a half from the beautiful wifey.

Bottom line: 6.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chao Tôm

If you've been reading this blog for any significant amount of time, you'll know I'm a sucker for appetizers and a lover of seafood. Appetizers made with seafood? It's a done deal. You know we're gonna try them and there's a good chance we'll enjoy them.

That's exactly what happened with this product. Scrump-dilly. After 10 minutes in the air fryer, the skewers came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The bulk of the skewer is shrimp meat, water chestnut, spring onion, green beans, and lemongrass. It's a delightfully savory combo, full of flavor and noshable textures.

Drawbacks? There are a few, unfortunately. The product doesn't come with its own dipping sauce. The pic on the box is merely a "serving suggestion." Boo. Fortunately, we had our own sweet Thai chili sauce to use. The chao tom is good on its own, but it's great when served with sweet Thai chili sauce, Trader Joe's brand or otherwise.

The shrimp and veggies want to slide off the skewer pretty easily. I found myself holding the little shrimp patty in place with one finger so I could pull a bite-sized chunk off the end with my teeth. Otherwise, the whole thing wanted to slide off. Certain specimens were small enough to be eaten in a single large bite, but others were easily three or four bites.

Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the sugar cane skewers. They were much fatter than typical wooden skewers and they didn't really add a ton in the flavor department. I guess it's cool that you can chew on them after you've eaten the appetizer and get that sweet sugar cane taste, but they're a tad mushy after being dipped in sauce and gnawed on numerous times.

Still, this is a unique and tasty product imported all the way from Vietnam. I can't vouch for its authenticity, but Sonia and I will both tell you that it's quite yummy and worth a purchase if you're looking for some Southeast Asian flavors that won't break the bank. 

$5.49 for 8 shrimp skewers. Would buy again. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia and eight out of ten from me for Trader Joe's Chao Tôm.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Spread

At this point, we're still kind of recapping a lot of the foods we were munching on throughout the holidays. This is another fancy cheese dip you might serve with fancy hors d'oeuvres or a charcuterie platter. "Soaked in syrah," you say? Yes, please.

Sonia and I went through a syrah/shiraz phase a few years back. It's generally a punchy, earthy red with peppery notes underneath. It's not a flavor you'd think would easily disappear in a tub of Toscano, but I was surprised how subtle it was in this instance. It's definitely there, but this is cheese with a whisper of wine and not the other way around.

It's tangy and herbaceous, creamy and savory. Sonia threw it into her omelets and sandwiches noting that it made them taste a lot more interesting than more common selections like Swiss or mozzarella. Truth be told, she liked it a lot more than I did.

Call me boring, but I don't think anything will ever dethrone the Unexpected Cheddar in terms of Trader Joe's spreadable cheeses for me. While we're on the topic, though, I should mention we bought the Holiday Cheer version again this year and both felt that the recipe had changed—like it was overloaded with cinnamon and wasn't nearly as good as the batch from 2023. Anybody else?

Trader Joe's Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Spread & Dip will run you five bucks for the 7.5 oz tub. Sonia will give it eight out of ten stars and a thumbs up. I don't give it a thumbs down exactly, but I wouldn't repurchase for just myself. Six out of ten from me.

Sonia's score: 8 out of 10.

Nathan's score: 6 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Cassata Baked Ricotta Cheese

As others rave about this product as well as the Baked Lemon Ricotta, I'm starting to think "dessert cheeses" just aren't my thing. I gave them both a whirl and while I'm still intrigued and wanting to love them, I can only muster a "that was neat to try" attitude rather than full-fledged enthusiasm.

As the label says, this one is filled with chocolate chips and candied fruit bits including citrus peels, pumpkin, and pear. The product was neither as sweet nor as creamy as I was wanting it to be. The texture of whey hit my tongue and palate more heavily than anything else when I bit into this cheese.

The fruit bits and chocolate chunks weren't nearly as intrusive as I assumed they'd be texture-wise or flavor-wise. They added a hint of complexity that was both enjoyable and unique. Sonia's glad the chocolate flavor wasn't overbearing, but she still wishes the ricotta itself were more dominant in the overall flavor profile.

Maybe it's because we don't charcuterie like the pros, but we were at a bit of a loss as to how to eat this cheese. We both enjoyed it baked into pancakes and waffles much more than we did when it was room temperature or refrigerated, but it's still not something we'd care to purchase with any kind of regularity.

$4.99 for the 6.35 oz package. It's worth a try for the adventurous eater if it comes back next year. Lots of folks are vastly more passionate about this selection than we are. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Sonia will give Trader Joe's Cassata Baked Ricotta Cheese seven and a half out of ten stars. I'll go with six and a half.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus

This is about the tenth style of hummus we've reviewed from Trader Joe's throughout the years. I won't bore you with a recap of each one. Just head to our blog and type "hummus" into the search bar if you're interested.

I'd say this variety falls squarely in the middle of the pack for me, personally. I like the hummus element. Pretty standard. Whirled chickpeas and tahini for the win.

The tapenade portion of the product is very briny. I mean, yeah, many olives come packed in salt water, so a bit of brininess is to be expected, but this seemed a tad excessive to me. Not a dealbreaker. I like a good bit of sodium in my diet, and if you mix equal parts hummus with tapenade in every bite, you can effectively mitigate the brine factor.

Sonia is a fan of the combo. The saltiness didn't bother her much. She's very much into anything Mediterranean these days. I think it would be ideal with fresh bruschetta, but we enjoyed it with the random types of bread products we had lying around the house—pita, naan, and even just water crackers.

$3.49 in the refrigerated section. Kosher. Sonia would buy it again and I wouldn't stop her unless there were some newfangled hummus that looked more interesting on our next Trader Joe's run. Sonia will throw out seven and a half out of ten stars for Trader Joe's Olive Tapenade Hummus. I'll go with seven out of ten.

Bottom line: 7.25 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps

We've seen our share of phyllo based foods here on WG@TJ's throughout the years: from Greek appetizers to spanakopita to camembert cranberry bites, the middle eastern and Balkan style dough is crispy, layered, and almost always delicious. This particular phyllo creation hails from Croatia.

And it's as unique as it is yummy. I don't think I've ever tried crackers made with phyllo dough before. I'm not sure why, because phyllo makes amazing crisps as well as pastries and hors d'oeuvres.

The bread part of these crackers is crispy and supple. It's moderately sweet just in and of itself, flaunting the taste of both sugar and honey. On top, there's a blend of delightful toppings including dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and oats. It's a hearty flavor that tastes natural and wholesome, almost like a flattened-out granola bar.

Both Sonia and I loved the crisps just by themselves. We did try them with Greek yogurt as suggested on the packaging, but both agreed they were at least as good on their own. I'm sure they'd pair nicely with Brie or goat cheese, too, but there's quite enough going on with the crackers as a standalone snack to keep us happy enjoying them straight out of the box.

Our only complaints: the package wasn't full and certain bites are hard enough that they irritate our sensitive teeth. $2.99 for the 2.8 oz box. Sonia and I will both go with eight and a half stars a piece on Trader Joe's Phyllo Crisps. They're seasonal and "limited" so get 'em while ya still can.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Stollen Crisps

Since I haven't spotted any other beloved German holiday treats such as Lebkuchen or Pfeffernüsse at my local Trader Joe's lately, today we're looking at the Stollen Crisps, which were available last year but eluded our sights in terms of a review.

Always busy this time of year trying to get around to all the seasonal products TJ's has to offer and we never manage to cover everything. But isn't that how life in general goes around the holidays? So much to do and a few things inevitably slip through the cracks. I don't know how you folks with big families do it. Anyhoo, let's get started with the review before we're staring down the barrel of 500 words for a simple looksee at what is essentially a box of fancy crackers.

My biggest problem with this line of "crisps" from TJ's is never the taste.

See: Trader Joe's Strawberry Jalapeño Crisps

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps

and Trader Joe's Fig & Olive Crisps.

They've always been unique and interesting flavors. My problem is the texture—they tend to be overly hard, to the point that they hurt my teeth after just a few bites. This problem can be mitigated by soft spreads, cheeses, and/or dips. Let's see if the stollen are any different.

Honestly, this product seems slightly less rigid than the previous selections mentioned above. Is it just my imagination? Have my teeth been strengthened by that enamel repair toothpaste I've been using? Your guess is as good as mine. They're still crunchy and crispy to a fault, but not quite as extreme by my reckoning.

There's a lovely grape and citrus smell that wafts from the bag after opening. They taste like fruitcake dusted with powdered sugar—like orange and lemon zest underneath raisins and sweet buttermilk bread. It's a very nice flavor indeed. There's a surprising amount of fruit in the crackers. Each piece contains at least four or five cross sections of raisin. That might be one of the reasons this offering seems a tad softer than its predecessors.

They recommend eating these with Brie or Gouda but I'm not really a highbrow cheese guy. If we had some kind of chevre on hand, I'd grab that, but unfortunately it's going to be Philadelphia to the rescue once again. But hey, it works. It's a delicious combination in my humble opinion.

The citrus element really makes this product memorable. Some might say it's too sweet with visible amounts of sugar on the crisps, but hey, it's the holiday season and it's time to celebrate.

$4.29 for the box. Product of Canada. There's something delightfully festive and Christmassy about this item, and I'd definitely buy it again. Sonia and I will go with 8 out of 10 stars for Trader Joe's Stollen Crisps.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Kimbap

Good morning, folks! It's time to look at Trader Joe's Kimbap. Neither Sonia nor I had ever tried this dish before, but we both like sushi so we decided to give it a whirl. This one's primarily a video review in stunning 4K resolution but for those of you who just want to relax and read, here's a few paragraphs on our findings...

This Asian dish comes frozen and it thaws in 2-3 minutes in the microwave. The packaging recommends serving it hot or cold while Koreans who know the dish say it should be served at room temperature. I found hot or room temperature worked great while chilling the kimbap in the fridge made the mouthfeel a little funky.

Still, the taste and texture are remarkable considering it comes frozen solid. There's an unexpected sweetness to the dish—akin to sesame sauce—plus all the rich veggie flavors you get from tofu, burdock root, carrot, radish, spinach, and seaweed. It's filling, satisfying, convenient, and reasonably priced at $3.99 for nine big sushi roll discs.

Product of Korea. The packaging and traderjoes.com only specify that it's vegetarian, but there's nothing in the ingredients that wouldn't be vegan, and other actual vegans out in cyberspace have declared that it is, in fact, vegan. I give Trader Joe's Kimbap eight out of ten stars while the beautiful wifey will go with nine out of ten.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chile Crackers

Aside from some aesthetically-pleasing packaging and the fact that I generally enjoy spicy foods, these crackers don't seem particularly alluring to me. They're being prominently displayed at TJ's stores and on traderjoes.com right now, but I'm still a bit skeptical. Can a cracker flaunt a nice crunchy texture while simultaneously delivering wheaty goodness and peppery heat?

Meh. Sorta. They're oddly dense. They're not like super light wafery crackers. They remind me a bit of the recently-reviewed Savory Squares in terms of density and overall texture, but those were made with tapioca and almond flour primarily and these are wheat-based.

Upon first bite, they don't seem very spicy. I must admit the pepper builds up on the tongue after munching on a full cracker or two but I wouldn't have minded a good bit more chile pepper flavor. 

There's also tomato powder listed in the ingredients, but I wouldn't say they taste tomatoey either. It's just a dull, dry, salty wheat flavor with a modest amount of heat.

My favorite Trader Joe's brand crackers in recent memory are definitely the Green Olive Flats, which provided us with a pleasant surprise. Despite both Sonia and I loving spicy, peppery foods, I don't know if we'd pick these up again. 

I love the concept here but I don't love the execution. I guess you could say I have a love-hate relationship with these crackers.

$2.99 for the 5 ounce box. Product of the United Kingdom. Sonia gives Trader Joe's Chile Crackers seven out of ten stars. I guess that's about right.

Bottom line: 7 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet

Sonia and I grabbed this product from the fridge at TJ's in haste, neither of us remembering that it had already been reviewed on this blog. In our defense, it's been over five years since the post went up, and we weren't the ones that reviewed it.

I thought about simply bumping that old post and plopping a short video at the bottom, but I think I'll just let that one stand on its own since we've got a significantly divergent take on this item. If you care to read the review from my esteemed former colleague just click here:

Trader Joe's Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet Take One

It's quite possible suppliers have changed in the past five years or that the quality of the fish has improved or simply that my erstwhile Pittsburghian counterpart "got a bad batch," but we found a much smaller layer of dark gray salmon next to the skin on our specimen. Also, we found our salmon to taste pretty good overall.

My biggest gripe would be that the smokey flavor was just a little overbearing. Some folks love that smokey flavor, but I can only tolerate it in moderation. Sonia was fine with the smokiness here.

We found a salmon spread recipe on thekitchn.com involving this salmon, mayo, onions, and lemon/lime juice. That combo was absolutely superb. The acidity of the lime juice and the creaminess of the mayo counterbalanced the smoke flavor nicely, and it made an extremely satisfying appetizer that actually wound up being our dinner.

We finished the product in a single sitting that way, serving the salmon spread on both water crackers and white rice. Get a look at the actual product by checking out the YouTube Short below.

$8.99 for the 6 ounce ready-to-serve package. In the end, I'd prefer unsmoked salmon for most situations, but this product is convenient and has plenty of potential when mixed with other ingredients. Would buy again. Seven and a half out of ten stars from me. Eight and a half out of ten stars from Sonia.

Bottom line: 8 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Tarte au Brie et aux Tomates

This classic thin crust "tarte" begs comparison to another longstanding Trader Joe's mainstay: Trader Giotto's Pizza Margherita. Both have thin crusts, though the one on this offering might be even thinner than the margherita's. Both are fairly stripped down and simple in terms of presentation and toppings, and both are sourced internationally, this one from France and the margherita from Italy.

Cheese-wise, we've got Brie and creme fraiche on this product, which combine for a unique, rich, and creamy quality. I'm not even that big a fan of Brie, and I'm quite sensitive to all moldy cheeses thanks to some odd allergies, but this combo didn't bother me at all in terms of a reaction, and it did provide the dish with a very interesting gourmet essence.

Instead of marinara sauce, we're looking at flattened cherry tomatoes. Again, I'm not fond of tomatoes in their purest form, but since they emerge from the oven fully cooked, I was willing to give them a chance. We were both happy with their flavor. 

The main problem that Sonia and I both perceived is that tomato sauce can be spread quite evenly over an entire pizza whereas actual tomatoes are less consistent. That is, one bite will contain an entire cherry tomato and the next bite might not have any tomato at all. Sonia, in particular, wanted a lot more tomatoes.

The braided crust was excellent. It's thinner than I'd usually prefer, but it was flaky, crispy, and very flavorful. The dough seemed to be of exceptional quality. We both almost wished Trader Joe's would sell the crust by itself to be customized and topped at home before baking.

At $4.49, this one's 30 cents cheaper than its Italian counterpart. This style of tarte is apparently very common in Alsace-Lorraine, but to a typical American consumer it might seem a bit fancy or even pretentious. 

In the end, both Sonia and I liked Trader Giotto's Pizza Margherita a little more than this dish but for slightly different reasons. It might not be number one on our shopping list, but a repeat purchase is definitely not out of the question. Sonia and I will both throw out seven and a half stars for Trader Joe's Tarte au Brie et aux Tomates.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Savory Squash Pastry Bites

Let's see...apple and pumpkin spice have had their days in the sun, so now it's time for a third party candidate to take a turn. Savory squash. Heck yes. A quick glance at the ingredients lets us know we're talking about butternut squash in particular. Love it.

It's ALSO talking about pumpkin. That's right, we've got pumpkin puree in these people-pleasing pastry puffs. Don't worry, there's nothing pumpkin spice about them. Just pumpkin in its most squash-ish sense...

The breading is pretty standard for Trader Joe's appetizer fare. Those feta and onion doodads come to mind. It's pretty yummy—flaky, buttery, and crispy—especially when heated in the air fryer, and it holds the squash and cheese right where they're supposed to be. Speaking of cheese, I guess I should have said "cheeses," because we're looking at mascarpone, ricotta, feta, and parmesan. That's quite a quartet.

And the only thing Sonia and I don't like about this product is that...it's a little too sweet for something that is so boldly deemed "savory." There's brown sugar in there. And I mean, you can get away with ricotta in something like this, even though it can also be dessert-ish. But mascarpone? That's a thing you put in tiramisu or cheesecake. Along with molasses and caramelized sugar syrup, there's a moment where you forget you're eating squash and think you might be snacking on sweet potato instead.

But still, the effect isn't unpleasant in any way. I just think the product would be stronger if it were less sweet and they'd boosted the garlic and onion essences to the foreground a little more. But I'm being picky...

$5.49 for a dozen decent hors d'oeuvres, found in the frozen section. It's another nice fall flavor. Sonia would buy it again. I don't dislike it, so I wouldn't fight her on a repurchase. She'll throw out eight out of ten stars. I'll go with seven out of ten on Trader Joe's Savory Squash Pastry Bites.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.