Eavesdropping on a man’s Facebook post: “I just got to say it’s a very strange experience to be standing at the urinal hearing piped-in music of Taylor Swift singing ‘Shake It Off’.’ “

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Which metro-area eatery serves the best cheeseburger is a long-standing debate, but there’s no arguing that Thursday is National Cheeseburger Day.

But the discussion about the origin of the noble cheeseburger may prove that the proof is in the patent. According to Wikipedia, “There are several competing claims as to who created the first cheeseburger”.

“Lionel Sternberger is reputed to have invented the cheeseburger in 1926 at the age of 16 when he was working as a fry cook at his father’s Pasadena, Calif., sandwich shop, The Rite Spot, and experimentally dropped a slab of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger.

“Other restaurants say they invented the cheeseburger. For example, Kaelin’s Restaurant in Louisville, Ky., said it invented the cheeseburger in 1934. One year later, a trademark for the name cheeseburger was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver. According to Steak ‘n Shake archives, the restaurant’s founder, Gus Belt, applied for a trademark on the word in the 1930s.“

While the cheeseburger’s origin may be unclear, there’s no disputing that the delicious cheese-covered beef patty on a bun is worth celebrating.

Local food blogger and radio restaurant show host Elizabeth Woessner, picked her top five faves in honor of National Cheeseburger Day. They are (in no particular order): Acorn’s Oak-Grilled Double Cheeseburger, Squeaky Bean’s Double Cheeseburger a la Nouveau Jersey, The Curtis Club’s Colorful Ranch Burger, Old Major’s Pork Burger (happy hour only) and TAG Burger Bar’s TAG American Slam.

Read the whole store at www.diningout.com/denverboulder/2014/09/16/5-ways-to-observe-national-cheeseburger-day/?utm_source=DN16%3A+Cheeseburgers&utm_campaign=DN16%3A+Cheeseburgers&utm_medium=email.

Wazee Supper Club, in Denver’s historic LoDo neighborhood at 15th and Wazee, is celebrating big this month with a 40^th anniversary party on Sept. 26 with throwback prices of $19.74 on supreme pizzas all day along with 40-cent pints of Rail Yard Ale served in commemorative Wazee anniversary pint glasses for the first 100 guests, starting at 6 p.m.

“We’re so proud to be celebrating the 40^th birthday of Wazee Supper Club,” said Lee Driscoll, Breckenridge-Wynkoop CEO.  “With so many new places opening up in Denver, it’s a major celebration to recognize one of the original places that’s been serving Denver for four decades. This throwback party is our way of thanking our loyal customers who’ve been such an important part of the Wazee’s history.”

Detroit natives Angelo and Jim Karagas founded Wazee Supper Club in 1974, many years before the neighborhood was nicknamed LoDo.  The location received a facelift in 2012 and kept the well-known dumbwaiter, nostalgic Frigidaire and black-and-white checkerboard floors.

For more information on Wazee Supper Club, visit www.wazeesupperclub.com/.

Hard Rock Cafe Denver, in the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall, pays homage to Denver Nuggets’ mascot Rocky with The Rocky Burger.

Created by Rocky himself, the burger is crafted with a brioche bun; two four-ounce burger patties, made of premium ground beef and brisket; two slices of pepper jack cheese; a fried egg; two strips of bacon and buttermilk fried onion strings.

The Rocky Burger is served with French fries and a housemade Skittles-infused tangy barbecue sauce for dunking, as Skittles are Rocky’s favorite snack.This burger will be available at Hard Rock Cafe Denver exclusively, for a limited time. A portion of the proceeds from the $13.95 burger will be donated to Special Olympics Colorado Project UNIFY.

“We are excited to partner with Rocky and the Denver Nuggets to support the Special Olympics Colorado Project UNIFY,” said Sean Finney, general manager of Hard Rock Cafe Denver. “The Rocky Burger, along with its special ‘dunking’ sauce, is not only delicious, but also a great way to support a very deserving cause.”

Rocky, who was dubbed The World’s Most Awesome Mascot  in 2013, and inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008, joins Colorado Mammoth’s John Grant Jr., Denver’s inaugural Celebrity Burger creator, in the new Hard Rock Cafe tradition. Each celebrity burger builder selects his or her favorite local charity, which receives a portion of proceeds from each burger sold.

Special Olympics Colorado Project UNIFY, a Kroenke Sports Charities signature community partner, utilizes sports and the power of youth leadership to change school climates into a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

The 14th Annual Taste of Greenwood Village will feature more than 40 metro-area restaurants and 50 wines from around the world from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Tech, 7801 E. Orchard Road.

The event is a production of the DTC|Greenwood Village Chamber and is presented by Stevinson Imports, along with Community Banks of Colorado, the DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Tech and Kentwood Real Estate.

Tickets for the opportunity to wine and dine are $45 per person or $75 per couple. For those looking for an enhanced experience, a VIP package that also includes a private dining room catered by Zink, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and Jing is available for $125 per person or $200 per couple.

Tickets and more details for the event are available at www.tasteofgreenwoodvillage.com. Beyond the great food and wine,  Stevinson Imports will show off new car models.

A portion of the proceeds from The Taste will benefit the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation, a nonprofit that helps to provide academic scholarships and opportunities for low-income students.

Worldwide Beverage of Denver is providing wine from all across the world for the event, and their sommeliers will pair wines with the different menu offerings. Participating restaurants include (subject to change):

A la Minute Catering
Abo’s Pizza
Ali Baba Grill
The Bent Noodle
Bonefish Grill
Briarwood Inn
The Bundt Shoppe
Cake Heads
Cebiche
The Creek Seafood Grille
Cuba Cuba
Del Frisco’s Steakhouse*
Donut Makers
Elephant Bar
FelFel Garcia’s
Glacier
Honey Baked Ham
Il Fornaio
Ivy at the glenn
Jackson’s American Grille
Jerome’s Pizza
Jing*
JT’s Southern Hospitality
La Fogata
La Sandia
Las Brisas Colorado
Linger
Melting Pot
Nothing Bundt Cakes Patxi Pizza
Randolph’s of Denver
Root Down
Sahara’s
Seasons 52
Sir Chocolate
Street Kitchen
Tazikis
Ted’s Montana Grill
Yanni’s
Woody Creek
Zink*
*VIP area only

Hardwired for humor, The Queerbots are Denver’s only LGBT improv troupe and they’re bringing “comedy on a gay frequency” to the Mile High City. Their first performance, at 8 p.m. Sept. 27 at Hamburger Mary’s (700 E. 17th Ave.), will use audience suggestions to explore everything from same-sex marriage to parenthood, lesbian sports to queer film.

The Queerbots performance will incorporate videotaped commentary from Hollywood stars like Melissa McCarthy, Pierce Brosnan, Terry Crews and Lisa Simpson into the show.  

Tickets are $10 and available at the door, beginning at 7 p.m. on the night of the show. 

 The Queerbots Improv Comedy troupe is made up of five performers who have been entertaining Denver audiences for years, including Sarah Kirwin, Jon Jon Lannen, Michelle Marlowe, Chris Parente and Ashley Scroggins. With more than 100 collective years of improv experience, the actors and jokesters are joining forces to bring their brand of humor to venues and special events throughout the city.

“Denver is a hotbed for LBGT issues right now and also has one of the most supportive gay and allied communities in the country,” said Kirwin, Queerbots artistic director. “It feels like the right time to launch a queer-focused comedy troupe and poke some fun at ourselves, our societal evolution and our culture. We can’t wait to get in front of audiences at Hamburger Mary’s and really push the envelope.”

Meet The Queerbots: 

Sarah Kirwin performs and teaches improv regularly at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Sarah has performed nationally at numerous festivals including the Chicago Improv Festival.

Jon Jon Lannen is an award-winning author and instructor with more than 10 years’ experience in performing, producing and directing improv comedy. Lannen performs regularly and teaches classes through his firm, Jon Jon & Co.

Michelle Marlowe is an improviser who can be seen performing, teaching and directing regularly around Denver.

Chris Parente studied improv at Chicago’s Second City, under the direction of Martin de Maat and has spent nearly 15 years performing in shows and festivals. Parente also works as a television anchor and entertainment reporter for Denver’s KDVR (FOX-31) and KWGN (CW-2).

Ashley Scroggins is a PhD student by day and improviser by night who has been performing in the Denver area for several years. 

RE/MAX real estate moguls Dave and Gail Liniger have donated The Wildlife Experience facility in Douglas County to The University of Colorado, the largest real estate donation in the institution’s 138-year history.

The $40 million gift will allow CU to expand its new CU South Denver presence. Dave Liniger is the chairman emeritus of The Wildlife Experience and co-founder of RE/MAX International, Inc.

The Liniger gift builds on the collaboration that began in April when the Linigers teamed with CU, converting 11,000-square-feet of the 151,000-square-foot facility to classroom and lab space. CU began offering classes there in August, while the wildlife art and natural history museum continued most of its museum services to the community.

The first classes at the facility are being offered by CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. CU’s Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses are expected to add programs in the future. CU Denver will manage the facility on behalf of the system.

In recognition of the Linigers’ generosity, the CU Board of Regents today approved naming the facility the Liniger Building at the University of Colorado South Denver.

“Dave and Gail Liniger have demonstrated a vision and commitment to serving our community and state that will have a substantial impact for decades to come,” said CU President Bruce D. Benson. “We value the confidence they have in CU and appreciate their transformational gift. The Wildlife Experience has been a cultural touchstone in south Denver and adding higher education will build on its commitment to the community.”

The Wildlife Experience was founded in 2002 and is designed to serve as a cultural and educational center for south Denver. The facility hosts exhibits in fine art, natural history and interactive science each year and provides space for private and community events.

“Gail and I are making this gift to CU to provide more services and more value to our south Denver community,” Liniger said. “The museum remains open, events will be held, and the public spaces will be available for rental. The added value now is the easy access to a quality CU education right here in south Denver.”

Some CU classes at the facility are underway and others are scheduled to begin in October. Among the offerings from CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus are programs from the Business School, the School of Education and Human Development, the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Nursing and the Colorado School of Public Health.

“The initial course offerings demonstrate the wide range of educational opportunities CU is bringing to south Denver,” said University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus Chancellor Don Elliman. “CU Denver is proud to be managing this initiative on behalf of the CU system, and we look forward to adding even more options for students with classes and faculty from the CU Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses.”

Lisa Douglas, associate vice chancellor for budget and finance at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus, has been named vice chancellor of the new facility.

“The University of Colorado’s four campuses will offer a generous supply of quality higher education to serve the residents of south Denver,” Douglas said. “The benefits of combining quality higher education with community service and events are compelling.”

Before entering into the initial collaboration with The Wildlife Experience, CU conducted a market study and interviewed leaders from south Denver’s major employers and professional organizations. The study identified gaps in educational offerings in the south Denver area, which accounts for one-third of the population of metro Denver and is home to a variety of engineering, finance and health-care related companies.

Are you ready to “fall” into fashion?

Celebrate Fashion in Cherry Creek North is a night of affordable styles from children’s duds to an adult runway fashion show, beginning with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. and the fashion show at 8 p.m. Friday in Fillmore Plaza on Fillmore between First and Second avenues.

The adult show will feature fall men’s and women’s intimates, outerwear, casual and evening wear looks from 12 Cherry Creek boutiques.

The event is sponsored by Dependable Cleaners, FirstBank of Cherry Creek and Western Development Group.

Participating fashion show merchants include:

Hair -Antoine du Chez, Planet Laboratories, Salon Utopia and SoCo Salon & Spa.

Makeup – Simply Moore.

Children’s fashion show -Heloise.

Accessories – Europtics and John Atencio.

Adult fashion show – Barth, Eccentricity, Garbarini, Inspyre Boutique, Mariel, Marks Lloyds Furs, Nora’s Retro Boutique and SOL…Store of Lingerie.

Cocktail party treats courtesy of Bombay Clay Oven, Enstrom Candies, Harman’s Eat & Drink, Patxi’s Pizza, Second Home Kitchen + Bar, True Food Kitchen and So Perfect Eats. Libations are courtesy of Deep Eddy Vodka, Hawaiian Springs and Stella Artois.

Tickets are $60 general admission and $125-plus for VIP seats. Each ticket includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres and libations.VIP guests will receive complimentary valet parking, a reserved seat along the runway, and an event goodie bag. The goal is to raise funds for Denver Health Foundation in support of women’s health services.