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Go Greek at new Taylorsville eatery or one-day pastry festival

(Scott Sommerdorf | Tribune file photo) Warm honey is poured over fresh loukoumathes during Salt Lake City's annual Greek Festival. This year's festival was canceled due to COVID-19, so organizers are selling the sweet treat and other desserts to go on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 279 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City.

There are two ways to get your Greek on this week.

Visit Greek House, a new casual eatery in Taylorsville, or stop by a one-day mini-festival Saturday at Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Salt Lake City.

Here are the details:

Greek House • Winsten Eugin considered taste, quality and value — all the things he appreciates as a customer — when he opened Greek House in August.

The restaurant, at 2654 W. 4700 South in the Westwood Village shopping center, serves chicken, beef and pork kebabs and meat platters with lemon rice, salads, hummus and falafel.

(Photo courtesy of Greek House) Lamb gyros topped with tzatziki sauce are the stars of Greek House's menu, said owner Winsten Eugin.

But the lamb gyros topped with tzatziki (yogurt) sauce are the stars at the casual Taylorsville eatery, according to Eugin, who says he makes all the components from scratch.

“I’m trying to make sure that what people are spending here is worth it for them,” said Eugin, a self-described “food freak.”

Currently, Greek House offers casual dine-in service for about 30 people as well as takeout. But Eugin dreams of one day — once COVID-19 restrictions are over — getting tablecloths and waiters to serve his diners.

He managed a burger and salad restaurant before leaving the industry two years ago to start a limousine service. There hasn’t been much need for elegant transportation during the coronavirus, so he returned to dining.

So far the menu has resonated with the community, he said. “I had people come in twice a day, to eat my gyros.”

Greek House is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.

(Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) A plate of baklava, kataifi, kourambiedes and pasta flora at the 42nd annual Greek Festival. With this year's festival canceled because of COVID-19, organizers are holding a one-day pastry event at Holy Trinity Cathedral Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020.

Greek Festival to go • Salt Lake City’s Greek Orthodox community will hold a miniature version of its annual festival on Saturday, Oct. 17 — selling traditional desserts to go.

The event — which follows all coronavirus health and safety guidelines — runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 279 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City.

Drive up or walk up (the event coincides with the weekly Downtown Farmers Market at nearby Pioneer Park) and get a dozen loukoumathes — deep-fried dough covered in honey and cinnamon — for $6.

Or get a variety box with six different pastries for $20. The box will include favorites such as baklava (layers of nuts and phyllo); karithopita (walnut cake); pasta flora (shortbread with jam), kourambiethes (butter cookies rolled in powdered sugar) and more.

— Alixel Cabrera and Kathy Stephenson

Beer for the cure

Utahns can help find a cure for pediatric cancer when they purchase Rising Hope IPA.

The new brew — made with raspberry, blood orange and Bulgarian rose — is available beginning Oct. 16 at Level Crossing Brewing Co., 2496 S. West Temple in South Salt Lake.

It’s sold in cans and can either be enjoyed on-site or taken to go.

Rising Hope was produced in partnership with Brewing Funds the Cure, said Level Crossing founder and CEO Mark Medura, and all proceeds from its sale will be donated to the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation for research.

The give-back program launched in 2017 in Tampa, Fla., with two breweries. Every year since, more brewers have participated in the cause.

— Kathy Stephenson

Racism alert on Yelp

Yelp is adding a new feature to its website, one that will flag businesses that may be associated with racist actions.

“As the nation reckons with issues of systemic racism,” read a recent blog post, “we’ve seen in the last few months that there is a clear need to warn consumers about businesses associated with egregious, racially charged actions.”

The alert, the post said, is designed to “help people make more informed spending decisions.”

Yelp — which offers crowd-sourced business reviews businesses — will take into account the use of language and symbols from firsthand reviews and news articles.

The “Business Accused of Racist Behavior Alert” will include a link to the article that led to the warning.

The new label started a debate on Twitter with some users praising it and others — including Donald Trump Jr. — saying it will be used as a weapon against businesses.

— Alixel Cabrera

Rainbow Oreos for LGBTQ+ History Month

Oreo cookies will get a colorful makeover in October.

In celebration of the LGBTQ+ History Month — and in partnership with PFLAG — a limited number of packages will have a rainbow filling resembling the gay pride flag.

These Oreos can’t be purchased in supermarkets. They will be given to the first 10,000 people who show what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

To participate in the giveaway, share a photo on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #ProudParent and #Giveaway and tag @OREO.

The deadline is Oct. 31, or whenever all the cookies are claimed.

— Alixel Cabrera