In Dubai for the weekend I was lost for some well priced adventure. Skiing in malls and and going into the desert in 45 degrees get old as fast as they were thought up, and shopping generally gives me anxiety. As you can imagine, Dubai isn’t the place for me. On my last day I finally figured out what to do. With some encouragement and research from Jonathan, I ventured out to the Local House restaurant on specific and courageous mission: to find and eat camel.

At first I was scared by visions of retired tick infested spitting camels that carry tourists around the desert. I was worried, at least I thought, this would be a work out with sinewy and tough, uninteresting meat. But when I arrived I found myself hypnotized with the poster outside the restaurant which read “Eat Yummy Camel Burger.’ My anxieties lifted like some sort of Jedi mind trick and I entered the completely empty restaurant, probably more in the mood for gazpacho than anything else, but ever ready and excited.

The Verdict? The sign is true. Camel is delicious. I played it safe and went for the camel burger, instead of the soup and steak that was also offered, but the taste was surprisingly unreal. Rich and subtle with a slight caramelized crisp to to the seared patty. It was like beef dipped in devonshire cream and then barbecued. It was like eating vibrations from a stand up bass. The taste harmonized with my mood and left me feeling grounded, on beat, and in tune. Next time anyone goes through Dubai, I have to insist, put your anxieties aside, follow the sign, and enjoy.