Olde Blind Dog - Crabapple

This place is about 13 miles from the house and we love it. It is a brand
new Irish pub in Crabapple by Alpharetta and it is beautiful and authentic.
The picture is of corned beef goodness. Cheryl got the corned beef and
cabbage and I got the reuben which were both amazing. This is the new
regular joint - good food, good beer, and beautiful surroundings.

Americas - Chocolate Drum with Chocolate Pop Rocks

The end of the meal was hard to take but when you aren't paying, it is hard
to resist. This is a dense cylinder of rich chocolate surrounded in
chocolate pop rocks. At first, the concept made no sense but it was a
delayed pop. Very unusual but good.

America's - Lamb Churrasco

This was something I have never seen or heard of. In Cuban and Argentinian
restaurants this is usually beef but I liked the idea of mixing it up. The
same churrasco green sauce was used but less aggressively. By the time we
got to the main course the thinly sliced plantain chips put us about 20%
full. This along with rum caramelized plantains made us 95% full.

America's Interior

My first dinner experience in Houston was a place recommended on
chowhound.com called Americas's. It is South American food and it had a
funky interior with lighting that made it hard to photograph. It probably
looks cheesy during the day.
What's also weird is that it is in an abandoned high end mini mall where
Hermes and other big name places used to be. It was packed though and was a
good sign for a random Tuesday night.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup vs. Egg

Cheryl has stated that Easter is good because the egg version of the
Reese's Peanut Butter Egg has more peanut butter than the cup version. It
is hard to compare because 1 egg weighs about the same as 2 cups. I can
accept her point because 2 items covered in chocolate will have less peanut
butter than 1 item.
This was an important study.

Turkey Leftovers

We had our Thanksgiving last weekend and my favorite part is the leftovers.
My sandwich involves cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and turkey on
sourdough. It is very good and I highly recommend it in December after
Thanksgiving or in my case, in March.

One Hell of a Week - Dominican Related

This is a picture of a Latin coffee machine in the Iberia Crown Club. I am
not a member but was able to sweet talk my way in with a "gift" of ten
dollars that the receptionist pocketed. That is a perfect example of how
things work down here.
Anyway, my adventure getting down here started Sunday during the snow in
Atlanta. For those of you not familiar with my airport, a popsicle in the
runway shuts it down. I was delayed about 8 hours including being stuck on
the runway for a few hours. The final straw was the fact that we had to go
back to the gate because the flight crew had maxed out their hours -
whatever that means. They tried to keep us at the gate to wait for the new
crew but I took off close to midnight sometime. My flight was supposed to
leave at 4 pm but ended up leaving at 4 am. Nice.
Anyway, I booked a flight for the next morning but was sidelined by a
seizure that morning caused by my lack of sleep and Delta. I finally made
it here against my better judgment on Wednesday thinking my luck would turn
around.
On the way from the airport to the client, the cab hit a chicken. That is
weird enough but the guy who ran into traffic to retrieve it was the icing
on the cake.
After the meetings I was exhausted from using my Spanish brain and went to
the hotel where I learned my reservation was canceled. Again, more
Dominican crap but Cheryl came through by going through Marriott corporate.
Thank god because I would have had to go the Jaragua (the hotel with
prostitutes in the casino).
The rest of the week was the usual crap with Dominican taxis charging me
whatever and being screwed up by the one hour time change.
Needless to say, I am ready to be out of here until mid-April which should
only be a one day visit. Chickens beware!

Snow in Atlanta = Go to Puerto Rico

This board of cancelations says it all. The snow here is pretty bad for
Atlanta standards and some of it turned to ice which made the drive a
little dodgy. Hopefully, me getting some beer in First Class will help me
forget the weather and the fact I have to leave on a Sunday for work
meetings!

Taqueria La Hacienda Nashville - Carne Asada Tacos

The carne asada tacos are a true measure of good Mexican food. I never
order the #7 with an enchilada, rice, and beans. I don't need the sides and
like to keep it about the main attraction. The meat was well seasoned and
the 2 tortillas were well thought out to absorb the juices from the meat,
onions, and cilantro. The heavy military presence in the restaurant also
give me the assurance that this is a great place.

Taqueria La Hacienda - Nashville

I like to ask my clients for the best places to eat and most of the time
they know and lead me to the local joints that I would never find on my
own. This place near a Mexican grocery store and a converted hardware
store/iglesia de jesus looked good and was full of people. Always a good
sign.

Nashville and Beer

I am off to Nashville for my annual visit and always have to stop at my
favorite beer store - Frugal McDougal's. It is always great but what made
it exceptional this time was the discovery of Fat Tire from the New Belgium
Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. In my previous blogs I have
lamented how they are not east of the Mississippi and apparently they are
now. I am beyond excited and had to buy a bunch. As usual Georgia is on the
tail end of getting Fat Tire but at least I can drive a few hours north to
get what I crave. Damn you Georgia!

Mosque Zulfa

This was our last stop before driving back into Muscat. It is for the
Sultan and between this, his yacht, and palace - he is living well.

Cheryl at Jabreen Castle

This castle was built by the son of the Sultan who built Fort Nizwa. It was
very interesting place with trap stairs and secret corridors.

Coffee with our Omani Friend

This gentleman insisted we have coffee and dates with him. He was quite
convincing and we pretty much had to go with the flow. He was in the hotel
lobby and spoke about his children. The Omani man who looked 80 years old
attested to the power of dates and how we would be pregnant tonight. He
told us he has 11 children with one on the way. I guess I should believe
it and be careful to not eat too many dates.

Traditional Omani Meal

This was our last meal in Niswa. We had a lot of Indian food while we have
been here mainly because the majority of restaurant workers and laborers
come from India.
You eat the meal family style on the floor in a separate room covered in
coconut wood. The food includes lots of so-called aphrodesiacs like shark
meat and cuttlefish.

Village of Tanuf and Poo

This is an ancient village that is in the process of being restored. Behind
the wall where Cheryl was standing I discovered a local man pooing. I
apologized but think "I'm sorry" means something insulting bad since he
looked pissed.

Second to the Grand Canyon

Near Niswa is the second biggest canyon in the world and we hiked and had a
picnic here. It was another type of landscape that was beautiful to see.

Items in the Arab Mirror...

We were in and out of these trucks all week and I always liked the mirror
label. At least I hope it says the same thing as it does at home.

Technology and Tradition

This is one of my favorite pictures and says so much about Oman. While they
are a very traditional Muslim country, they also love technology. I-Pods,
flat-screen TVs, and cell phones are everywhere and our guide, Khalid, was
as obsessed as I am with my Blackberry. It is good to know my addiction
reaches to the other side of the world.

Niswa Fort View with a Small Sandstorm

We went to the top of the old fort where the various "murder holes" were
labeled. They were places where invaders would cross and have hot date
syrup fall on them.
Once we made it up the murder hole, this view of the town with the mosque
in the background was worth the effort. The sand in the air obscures the
expanded view and you feel it when you are outside.