For those of you who have followed my career for the last 21 years as a Denver journalist, you know of  my battle with breast cancer many moons ago.

Not only did I share the news, but I let my bald head be my picture with my column in the long-gone and beloved Rocky Mountain News.

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to support my pals at Occasions Catering by publicizing their Cookies for the Cure, a benefit for Komen Colorado.

Proudly serve these made-from-scratch Pink Ribbon Cookies at your next meeting or event, and $2 per cookie will be donated to Susan G. Komen Colorado – leading the charge against breast cancer by funding research, education, screening and treatment for Coloradans affected by breast cancer.

Last year, Occasions sold 788 cookies. Help the catering company top 1,000 this year. Pink Ribbon Cookies are $2.75 each, and they make great gifts. Call 303-789-1867 to order your Cookies for the Cure. They are only available in October.

Denver-based airport concessionaire Mission Yogurt, Inc. has partnered with the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center to host Trout Tank: Food Frenzy. Startups or existing culinary concepts looking to expand are sought to audition for a chance to compete at Trout Tank: Food Frenzy on Dec. 1.

The Denver Metro SBDC, an affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, launched Trout Tank in 2014 as a pitch event to connect entrepreneurs with potential funders. The Food Frenzy edition will mark the first industry-specific Trout Tank.

“We want to give entrepreneurs the tools to start, grow and thrive,” said Abram Sloss, director of the Denver Metro SBDC. “Trout Tank is just one way that we build connections for our entrepreneurs as they work to move their business from a dream to a reality.”

Auditions will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, 1445 Market St. Audition registration is $25, and can be completed at www.denversbdc.org/trouttank.

On Dec. 1, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., five audition finalists will present their business plans to investors and lenders, as well as a panel of judges—restaurateurs and industry experts including Pat Miller of Gabby Gourmet, Chef Dana Rodriguez of Work & Class, Chef Alex Seidel of Fruition and Mercantile Dining & Provision, and Mark Berzins of Little Pub Company. In addition to receiving new business connections, one winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize to help bring his or her business idea to fruition. Trout Tank: Food Frenzy will take place at The Denver Post offices, at 101 W. Colfax Ave.

“At Mission Yogurt, our business is to partner with innovative restaurateurs, and help them to expand their businesses, in our case, to airports,” said Mission Yogurt, Inc. President and owner Rod Tafoya. “I too started with just one small restaurant concept more than 25 years ago, and couldn’t be more excited to sponsor this first-of-its-kind culinary-focused Trout Tank to help provide opportunities to local food and beverage industry entrepreneurs.”

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts hosts its 36th annual signature fundraiser, Saturday Night Alive, on March 5 with entertainment by Kelli O’Hara and Brian d’Arcy James. Tickets are now on sale at www.denvercenter.org/sna.

O’Hara and d’Arcy James will entertain Saturday Night Alive patrons with an evening of their favorite Broadway songs and pop tunes. O’Hara received the 2015 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Anna Leonowens in the current Broadway revival of The King and I. Darcy James is a three-time Tony nominee and is currently starring in Something Rotten on Broadway.

Guests at Saturday Night Alive will enjoy not only the talented Broadway voices of O’Hara and d’Arcy James but elements that make this event an eagerly anticipated highlight of the social scene: 

• Computerized Luxury Silent Auction and bidding via smartphone
• Dinner, desserts and dancing in the elegant Seawell Grand Ballroom

Saturday Night Alive brings together a sellout crowd of 800 leaders from the Denver community for an unforgettable celebration of the theater. Net proceeds from the event, totaling more $17.4 million over the past 36 years, support DCPA Education.

Event Chairs are Claudia and Jim Miller. Silent Auction Chairis Lyn Schaffer. Corporate Chairs are Lisa and Norm Frank.

Presenting Sponsor – Murray BMW of Denver

Saturday Night Alive is held on March 5 in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex at Speer and Arapahoe. Tickets to Saturday Night Alive are currently on sale; individual tickets start at $450 and tables of 10 start at $6,000. Call 303.446.4815 or visit denvercenter.org/sna.

Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill, the Portland-based restaurant concept that opened its first Colorado restaurant in the Union Station neighborhood in 2014, has announced its expansion in the Denver market with a second location to open in Cherry Creek North. Slated for a May 2016 opening, the Cherry Creek Thirsty Lion will be located at 201 Columbine St.

The space formerly was where Earl’s Kitchen + Bar until it closed in June 2014. Construction and street closures were blamed for Earl’s demise. The 250 Columbine project is nearly complete but work continues on the old post office site across the street.

With a prime location at the corner of Second Avenue and Columbine, Thirsty Lion will be joining more than 300 other independently owned shops, galleries and restaurants and more than 150 premium stores in Denver’s premier shopping and dining neighborhood. Accompanying the current and upcoming retail offerings, the residential options in Cherry Creek are growing rapidly with the construction of two new luxury apartment buildings, as well as the independent hotel 245 Columbine which opens in the spring.

“With all of the redevelopment, both commercial and residential, in Cherry Creek, I think it’s safe to say that Thirsty Lion is moving into this exciting neighborhood at just the right time,” said Thirsty Lion CEO John Plew. “We’ve experienced enormous success with our first Denver location in Union Station, which has also undergone incredible redevelopment, and we think Cherry Creek offers similar opportunities for success.”

Since opening in April 2014, Thirsty Lion Union Station has quickly become one of the restaurant company’s most successful locations, which includes six existing locations across Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado. In addition to Cherry Creek, openings in Gilbert, Ariz. and Dallas, Texas, have also been announced for 2016 and 2017.

Thirsty Lion’s culinary commitment is to provide an eclectic variety of cuisines, with an emphasis on local ingredients and bold flavors. A seasonal fresh sheet will focus on the changing season’s offerings, featuring unique ingredients including fresh seafood, quality meats and local vegetables and fruits. At each location, the bar features a large selection of craft beers on tap, many of which are local to the city, offering a beer on hand for every plate and every palate. The gastropub also features unique craft cocktails that utilize combinations of fresh fruit purees, juices and premium liquors, as well as 25 different wines by the glass.

To learn more about Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill visit www.thirstyliongastropub.com.

Sarto’s, a metropolitan Italian eatery in Denver’s burgeoning Jefferson Park neighborhood, is celebrating its first birthday from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday with an event that pays homage to the bustling social dining scene in Italy’s city centers.

For $60 per person, guests can enjoy authentic Cicchetti — an Italian tradition of social “snacking” and small bites, an oyster and Prosecco bar, hand-carved charcuterie and cheeses, a wine tasting room, hand-rolled chocolate truffles, signature cocktails, a roaming risotto bar, whole-roasted Cinghiale and more.

With reference to the Italian word for “tailor,” Sarto’s provides a tailored dining experience in a sociable drink- and food-forward environment. For tickets to the celebration, call 303- 455-1400.

Sign at ColoradoLand tire store at I-25 and Broadway:

“Don’t be like (New England Patriots quarterback Tom) Brady. Check your air pressure.”

Eavesdropping on two friends driving down Lincoln Street who spot a homeless man wearing a Kansas Jayhawks shirt: “Is there anything more pathetic than that guy?”
“Yes, actually there is and it’s called the 0-7 Kansas Jayhawks football team.”

Celebrated actor/musician Jamie Foxx is joining a host of celebrities at The Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s “Be Beautiful Be Yourself” fashion show Saturday at the Colorado Convention Center, the nation’s single largest fundraiser for Down syndrome.

Foxx and his sister DeOndra Dixon, who happens to have Down Syndrome, will join actors Beau Bridges (“Masters of Sex”), Minka Kelly (“Friday Night Lights”), John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”), Terrence Howard (“Empire”), Jamie Brewer (“American Horror Story”), supermodel Beverly Johnson, Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson, players and cheerleaders from the Denver Broncos and Nuggets teams, and several other VIPs as they will escort models with Down Syndrome on the runway.

Emceeing the evening’s festivities is “Extra” correspondent and syndicated daytime host Jerry Penacoli and Kim Christiansen of Denver’s 9News. Other stars who have supported the gala include Quincy Jones, Alec Baldwin, Helen Hunt, Laura Dern, Kyra Phillips, Tim Shriver, Patrick Kennedy and Jeff Probst, among many others.

The star-studded event benefits the Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome on the Anschutz Medical Campus and the Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado. For additional information, visit www.BeBeautifulBeYourself.org.

The owner of Lower48 Kitchen, a contemporary American eatery at 2020 Lawrence St., announced in an email to customers that it will close after dinner service on Nov. 7. Here’s what owner Mario Nocifera wrote:

“Good afternoon friends,

“I am reaching out on behalf of the entire Lower48 team. Chef/partner Alex Figura and I started this adventure four years ago with sincere goals and I couldn’t be more proud of what we, as a team, created.

“I write to you with a heavy heart, as we have made the very difficult decision to close Lower48. Our last night of service will be Saturday, November 7, and we hope you will come in and join us in celebration and reflection of two great years serving the community.

“To the team that helped open Lower48, to our fantastic guests, loyal supporters, friends & family, landlord and investors: thank you for your generosity, belief, unwavering support and tireless work to help grow and develop Lower48 into what it is today. Every day has provided a new experience forged with the opportunity to learn, develop and grow. Saying goodbye to our dream is no different.

“Our number one goal is to support our loyal and talented staff; helping them through this transition and ensuring secure employment is extremely important to Alex and I. We encourage you to come help us say good-bye to Lower48 and to celebrate all of the hard work and commitment that the team gave day-in and day-out for the last two years. We continue to be humbled by everyone’s continued support and look forward to welcoming you to Lower48 in the next few weeks.”