BurgerWire: Katie Lee Finally Defends Patty Melt

At the New York Wine & Food Fest's Burger Bash two weeks ago, Katie Lee Joel shocked the burger aficionado world (and many attendees of the Bash) when she won the competition with her simple patty melt. We've had a number of well respected burger lovers and chefs come to her defense here, but we've yet to hear from the charming burger maker herself...until now. She speaks to Yum Sugar:

Critics complain that your burger was not a burger, but a patty melt — what do you have to say to them? KLJ: I don't really understand the critics. The burger patty makes it a burger. There were no rules or guidelines that said the burger had to be a specific way or on a specific type of bread. I don't think it was that avant-garde...

...Actually a lot of the Internet controversy bugged me. People in the food world wanted to be so crappy about it, but that's not what food is about. To me food is about bringing people together, not criticizing each other. It's really getting almost as bad as the fashion industry! I mean at the end of the day, it's just a hamburger.

· Katie Lee Joel on Burger Backlash [YumSugar via AHT]
· NYCWFF: Schrager Catches Katie Lee Joel's Back [~E~]For more stories from Eater, go to eater.com.

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