D.C. Notebook: Fry sauce gives D.C. eatery's Romney burger a Utah spin

A fine-dining restaurant in the nation's capital is featuring politically themed burgers in the run up to Election Day, and Mitt Romney's item includes a uniquely Utah treatment.

While Romney isn't from Utah, the chefs at BLT Steak in Washington make it appear so, topping an eight-ounce certified Angus beef burger with a "Utah-style pastrami stack," melted American cheese and topped with fry sauce, which every Beehive State resident knows is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup.

While one could get a similar sandwich at Crown Burger for less than $10, the one at BLT Steak retails for $22.

For those non-Romney fans, the restaurant offers a Bi-Partisan burger as well as Red State and Blue State choices. The Blue State Burger, for the record, includes grass-fed beef, mushrooms, arugula, balsamic onion and Gorgonzola.

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Romney pulls in more Utah dough • Utah continues to be a cash machine for Romney's presidential campaign with residents in the state forking out about $1 million in the past month.

Romney's Utah haul now tops $5.7 million this election period, about five times more than the $1.1 million that President Barack Obama has received from state residents, according to their latest filings with the Federal Election Commission.

The latest numbers top the amount Romney drew from Utahns during his failed 2008 presidential bid, when residents tossed about $5.4 million his way.

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Huntsman PAC disbands • Jon Huntsman supporters launched Horizon PAC last year with the slogan "Maybe Someday," expressing the hope that someday there would be a new generation of leaders who would tackle the big issues.

That day appears to be over.

The Horizon PAC has officially dissolved itself as a political action committee in Utah, telling the state that it will "no longer be engaging in political activities."

The PAC can always reactivate and raise and spend funds again at some point, but the closing of the PAC also signals the Huntsman supporters had little use for a vehicle like that right now.

Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson and PR guru Tim Riester were the duo behind the PAC, which was described as Huntsman's presidential "campaign in waiting," and used to pay vendors and staff of Huntsman's unsuccessful bid before he officially announced.

Anderson and Riester both tossed in $10,000 and Huntsman friend Dinesh Patel added another $5,000 to pay off legal and accounting fees before the officials zeroed out the PAC's account.

Apparently, some day for the Horizon PAC just didn't come.

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Burr and Canham report from Washington, D.C. They can be reached at tburr@sltrib.com or mcanham@sltrib.com or via Twitter @thomaswburr or @mattcanham.