Oman, almost.

We leave in a couple days for Oman. And this is the picture that started it all.


You see, we were in Jackson, WY this past Fall, on our way to visit Grand Teton Brewery (and eventually onto our quest for a local huckleberry milkshake). Immediately after passing into Idaho, we were stopped on the quasi-highway by a ranch-hand. He motioned for us to slow down/stop. It is one of those weird moments in life where you either gun-it, or you stop. We decided to stop. What could possibly happen? We were captive observers in our rental car as (I swear) a 500 head sheep herd surrounded our vehicle. Eric simply stuck his Blackberry out of the sunroof, and captured a shot wherein all pairs of eyes were upon us. It was a picture we sent to close friends, giggled about the rest of the day, and relished in the obscure moment we had been placed in.

When we arrived home, we thought to enter the picture in a monthly contest for Budget Travel. Mainly because, the prior month's winner was some loser who found hot sauce on a shelf. And we wispered to ourselves, 'hot sauce? really? why don't we submit the sheep picture.'

And here we are. We won. A nine day tour of Oman. In the Middle East, on the Arabian Penninsula.

If you are like me, maybe you've heard of Oman. It sounds fairly far, right? We had one friend who I recalled had visited Oman in the past on business. But business is different than pleasure. We ordered every tour book Amazon willingly sold. Most are written from a UK-perspective, which is fine, but gives a bigger indication that not many Americans consider it vacation-worthy. Why?



The more I read and researched, the more exciting it has become. The people are welcoming, hospitable, and go out of their way to be stewards of the Middle East.


I learned that you must always accept at least 3 cups of coriander-brewed coffee from your host; less is considered rude. I learned to never show the underside of your feet during a meal. Always eat with your right hand, sans utensils. They are a proud nation, in which infrastructure has only been built and created in the past 30 years by the Sultan. Visitors and tourists are welcome, and they respect your religious views, whether based on Islam or not. People "of the book" are all considered equally. This is quite the different view than, say, Fox News Channel would like to push down your gullet during the 7:00 p.m. nightly news.


This trip becomes much more than the prize. Maybe the award from Budget Travel is really understanding a culture and a people that we had not considered in the past. A land where smiles are more prevelant than hatred. Or is the prize that Eric and I find a bit of ourselves in the Omanis? That we can relate to them on a simple laugh, or a wink? It is a chance to become ambassadors for the United States (yes, we are not all haters). An opportunity for Eric and I to grow as travelers, and not be so entrenched in 'how many shoes do I need' or 'ten t-shirts for twenty dollars' type of traveling we have done in the past.



We camp in the Wahabi desert for three nights. Certainly a challenge for a 'city girl' but one that I face head-on with spirit and humor. How many of you have dug your own poop hole? I didn't think so! But under a star-filled sky, with a belly full of grilled lamb and stories by a firepit, it is expected to be one of the most life-changing vacations of my life.

Flip Burger Boutique

Eric had been dying - I mean dying - to go to this place. Richard Blais (the silver-medal champion of last seasons Top Chef) opened the joint only a few months ago after leaving Home on Paces Ferry. It's located on Howell Mill Road, just south of I-75 and north of the water plant.


As a complete aside, we are insanely jealous of any and all restaurants that open within a 5 mile radius of Howell Mill Road. We used to live in that area and, back in the day, our choices were far and few between. We visited Fox & Hound less than we should have. And visited the Chinese restaurant (name?) more than we should have. What can I say -- we were idiots at the time. But the choices weren't great to begin with. And see what happens? We move to the stix in Cherokee County and, whola, all these buzz-worthy restaurants and cafes start popping up in the Howell Mill area. Even Via Elisa with their homemade pastas and raviolis! It's enough to make a person go crazy if you think about it too much.

So, we were determined to go, and arrived on a Saturday at 2:00 p.m., to find the place moderately busy with a substantial wait. Grab a menu and start daydreaming about the choices of your burger.


When finally seated, we had already discussed our options and desires.

I ordered the Japanese kobe burger with seared foie gras, shaved truffles, bread and butter pickles, and a red wine reduction. Yes, it was exorbitant at $45. But you only live once. And I really wanted to see what is considered the 'best' burger.


The shaved truffles were non-existent. I'm a truffle girl, afterall, and I seek these black (or white) beauties. Their aromas haunt my palate. And if a truffle were to merely walk across the bun, I would know. But not this guy. Maybe the foie overpowered it? Or the pickle? I'm not really sure, but I tasted no truffle on this at all. I also was disappointed because the burger was to arrive medium-rare. Instead, it tasted as if it had been on the grill about 3 minutes too long.

I ordered the standard fries and were impressed by their crispy bits and fresh herbs, even if the dill kinda overtook some of the pieces. Most surprisingly, I was entranced by the smoky homemade mayonnaise. It could have easily had a couple of drops of bacon drippings in it. I dipped fry after fry in it, as if my inner-Dutch tastebuds were emerging. It was thick and clung to each fry like glue. Oh, it was yummy. I would come back to Flip, just for this mayo.



Eric ordered the Lamburger, for a fashionable deal at $9. It was accompanied by green olive relish, mint, and cucumber yogurt dressing. I thought it was very very good, and, honestly just as good as my kobe. But then again, I'm a lamb girl. I was jealous of his version, but not jealous of his sweet potato tot, which were swimming in grease. There comes a point where the sweet potato no longer takes on the taste of a root vegetable, and this certainly was it. It had been chopped. Formed. And fried into hockey-puck pellets. Those fresh herbs weren't going to bring these guys back to life.

Service was sticky and we had to wait about 15 minutes for our desserts - a pistachio & white truffle milkshake. A bit of a faux pas to be presented with the final bill, and present your card, and sign for the final total and tip before the dessert even arrives. I don't expect white-glove service at a burger boutique, but I do expect the servers to honor the food and the patrons. Instead, we felt rushed to slurp down our milkshakes so that other ansy diners (who were peering over our shoulder) have an opportunity at a table. Had those other diners not seen us go through the settling-of-the-bill situation, I'd feel a little more comfortable with taking our time to savor the milkshake.



Nonetheless, the pistachios were great, somewhat chunky, but small enough to have fun slurping through the straw. I resent the green coloring - not needed. And the supposed white truffle? Again, non-existent. I'm beginning to think there are no truffles in the whole building.

Is it worth going? Sure. Is it worth standing in line for 3 hours? No. Can I get better grub elsewhere? Maybe. JCT is just down the street and their truffle fries could compete with anything in this city. I believe those fries are worth a 40 mile drive for us.

It is worth to go to Flip, simply to push the envelope ever-so-slightly on your traditional burger offering. Just expect the service to still have some issues to iron-out.