Flip Burger Boutique is the latest venue for Richard Blais to show off his culinary creativity. The Top Chef Chicago runner up has bounced several Atlanta kitchens, according to coverage in Creative Loafing. While perhaps not as adventurous as some of his previous gigs (i.e. Element), Flip seems to give him an outlet for his imagination.

As the name suggests, the menu is entirely burger-based and supported by sides and milkshakes. There are 18 burgers to choose from; nine are traditional, beef-based and the other nine are based on alternative patties including mushroom, shrimp and lamb.

The $45 price tag on the Kobe burger immediately caught my eye, but I was unwilling to spend that kind of money for one burger. I called Mike to discuss the options and he, too, was interested in the $45 choice. I repeatedly expressed my opposition, but our conversation was interrupted before a different burger could be settled upon.

About 15 minutes later, I received $45 via PayPal with the following message: "No excuse." And so it came to pass that I ordered a $45 burger.

The burger in question.

For my side, I went with the sweet potato tots, and the liquid nitrogen-cooled Krispy Kreme milkshake rounded out the meal.

The milkshake arrived first. The liquid nitrogen caused a fog that cascaded out of the glass when it was placed on the table. It had a vaguely sci-fi appearance, but the fog dissipated too quickly to snap a photo.

Having heard about the shake prior to our visit, I had high expectations for its re-creation of the famous donut's flavor. I wasn't entirely disappointed, but I didn't find the shake as spectacular as others had. I believe I could re-create it at home using the same technique as for a pie shake (but without the fog of the LN2).

A short time later, the burger and tots arrived. Instead of the traditional barrel form, these tots were shaped like coins or thick discs. I'm not a fan of sweet potato fries, so I was nervous about the tots. My trepidation vanished when I tasted the first one. The sweet potato tots were cooked to perfection -- crispy but soft, and lightly seasoned. I could have made a meal out of them.

The main event was the $45 burger: a japanese Kobe beef patty with foie gras and truffles.

Alternate angle courtesy Thom

The idea of foie gras kind of grosses me out. Thinking about eating liver conjures memories of trying, and violently disliking, liver and onions as a child. And then there's the production method: The forced over-feeding of fowl to produce an oversized liver doesn't sit well with me.

On the other hand, I've eaten some weird food (like a tongue hot dog) and plenty of other people have eaten foie gras and lived to tell the tale. So once I put it in context and got past my initial aversions, I was able to eat freely.

The foie gras spread provided a creamy texture to the burger, which I liked, but I couldn't tell you whether or not I tasted any truffles. I probably did, but I can't identify the flavor with any specificity. And I'm not sure my palate is sensitive or developed enough to discern the difference between Kobe and "regular" beef.

The burger was very good, but not more than four times as good as a $8 to $10 burger from the corner pub. The $45 isn't just paying for a good burger with premium ingredients, though. It's paying for its own price tag. It's paying for the ability to say, "I ate a burger that costs $45." And that stays with you well after you've pushed yourself away from the table.

Even if someone else paid for it.