The New York Times has an article today about how people in Utah apparently love pastrami on their burgers more than anywhere else in the country, something shocking to me because I thought all the state subsided on was Jell-O. But a fascinating local connection is buried in the piece. Reporter John T. Edge profiles Crown Burgers, a small chain run by a Greek family he credits with introducing pastrami burgers to the Beehive State. The Katsanevas clan admits a deceased brother, James, learned about paring pastrami with a hamburger from a Turk, and he started selling them at one Minos Burger in Anaheim before introducing it to the family restaurant in Salt Lake City.
Minos Burger no longer exists, and I'll start digging to see what Mexican or Arab restaurant now occupies its former digs. There was a Mantas Burger on Euclid for years, and Greeks still run many of the county's burger joints. But one final point to make about the Times piece is that it's a rip-off of a much-better story done by Salt Lake Weekly in 2007. Give credit where credit is due, Grey Lady!
