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Pasadena, Birthplace of the Cheeseburger, Requests You Eat a Few There and Vote For Your Favorites During Upcoming Cheeseburger Week
Photo of a Pie N Burger cheeseburger by jslander via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Pasadena, California has long claimed the rights of creation to the almighty American cheeseburger (yes, someone "invented" draping a beef patty with cheese), and now they are rallying cheeseburger eaters to come, dine, digest, and vote for the city's best during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week.
First, the invention backstory, which involves a teenager named Lionel Sternberger, who worked in the early 1920s at his pop's restaurant, The Rite Spot:
Legend has it that young Lionel Sternberger burned a hamburger and, to cover his error, added a slice of cheese to the burger then served it to a delighted customer. Either that or a hobo, wanting a little extra protein, asked the kid behind the counter to add cheese to his $0.15 hamburger and the rest is culinary history. The Rite Spot’s Aristocratic Burger was a favorite with customers for decades and was priced at that same $0.15 for twenty years.
For the Cheeseburger Challenge, it's pretty simple: Eat a cheeseburger at a participating Pasadena restaurant during Cheeseburger Week, and then go online and cast your vote in a variety of categories. And not all cheeseburgers are old school beef and cheese; many restaurants are serving their own interpretations and twists, from veggie burgers to pastrami burgers and a whole lot in between.
Here are the participating restaurants, some of which are making special cheeseburgers or offering Cheeseburger Week deals:
a/k/a An American Bistro, Beckham Grill, Burger Continental, Clearman’s, The Counter, Crepe Studio, The Dog Haus, Dog Haus Biergerten, El Portal, Gale’s (lunch only), Green Street Restaurant, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Kings Row Gastropub, Lebanese Kitchen, Lovebirds Cafe, M Local Mediterranean Grill, Magnolia Lounge, Noir Food and Wine, Pie ‘n Burger, POP Champagne & Dessert Bar, Quadrupel Brasserie, Red, White + Bluezz, Soleil at the Sheraton, Toro Sushi Bar and Lounge, Vertical Wine Bistro, and Yahaira’s Cafe.
Voting opens on Sunday, January 15th and ends on Monday, January 23rd.
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